


Little Moon

by Layora88



Series: Little Moon Series [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Arc Reactor, Baking, Cooking, Discussion of Arousal, Discussion of Love, Dorks, Hair Brushing, Hydra (Marvel), I love these guys, Idiots, Love Confessions, Love Story, Massages, Masturbation, Metal Arm Love, Metal Hands, Passengers Movie, Polyamory, Russian Pet Name, Slow Build, Steve's Laugh is Like Sunshine, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Touch-Starved, Wanda Is Amazing, mention of rape, no description of rape, what is love?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-09-22 01:04:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 57,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9575012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Layora88/pseuds/Layora88
Summary: This is a love story about a young woman who had been held in the clutches of Hydra and her recovery after the Avengers found and rescued her. A story about love and finding oneself and making friends and just learning to be happy and enjoy the life you've been given. <3Enjoy.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I rated this story explicit for the rape mentioned but honestly? Mature should cover it I think. But just to be safe. :) 
> 
> Also-there will definitely be further stories with these lovely characters together. I've just got too much on the go right now and I wanted to get this one posted for now. <3
> 
> edited as of March 3/2017*

“Getting anything, Tony?” Bucky asked as he adjusted his hold on the gun in his metal hand. 

“I’m not getting much, no. There’s still power routing to the building though,” Tony said into his comm as he touched down at one of the North entrances. 

“Why leave the lights on if no body’s home?” Bucky asked with a huff, slipping his gun into its holster.

“No idea, guys. But we’d better stay on our guard. We don’t know for sure if the place is abandoned or not, so hold tight,” Steve chimed in.

“Sure thing, Cap,” Tony fired back as he blew easily through the thick metal door with his repulsors. 

“ _Tony-_ ” Steve admonished over the comms and he heard his other Team members snicker at the sound.

Tony grinned, “Sorry, Cap. Was feeling a little left out, can’t have you guys havin’ all the fun.”

Steve rolled his eyes and glanced to his right to where Bucky was still snickering under his breath. “Course not,” Steve muttered.

Steve and Bucky continued to scour the main floor when they came upon Natasha and Clint slipping down from a ventilation shaft. “Place is deserted,” Natasha told them with a heavy sigh.

Clint nodded. “Seemed to be in a bit of a hurry though. Can’t have been gone for more than a couple of weeks, tops. Think we’ll find anything on any of the computers?” He asked curiously.

Bucky shrugged and looked to Natasha. “It’s possible, any chance we can figure out where the main servers are?” Natasha asked over the comms.

“Already on it. Jarvis says the main power supply is being drawn to the basement…to two separate rooms…” Tony said a little uncertainly.

“Two rooms? Why do you sound perturbed by that?” Bucky asked as they started towards one of the stairwells and headed down a few flights.

“I-I’m a little confused, I’ll admit. One is definitely the computer room…but _this one-_ “ Tony started.

“Where are you, _Tony?_ ” Steve said in exasperation, huffing out a breath as they came to the landing that led to the basement.

Natasha smirked, a hint of a thing as she pulled open the doors and stepped out into the hallway. They could clearly see Tony at the other end with his face-plate up, grinning like an idiot as he waved at them. Steve rolled his eyes once again and they quickly started towards the genius.

“Well _hello there_ …as I was saying-this one appears to be some kind of observation room,” Tony told them as he stepped back into the room he had been scouting out.

Bucky, Steve, Clint and Natasha followed him inside only to find two computers set up behind a desk on the right side of the room, while on the left lay a very heavy looking door with a control panel built in beside it. More confusing still, was the large one way mirror next to the door. 

“Hm, looks like the lights are off-“ Clint started only to be interrupted by the genius.

“J says the room is drawing power though-strange- _right?_ ” Tony asked as he took a look at the control panel by the door.

The little group murmured their agreement when they were suddenly startled by a soft voice. “H-hello?” It was a woman’s voice, nervous and cracked.

“ _What the fuck_?” Clint breathed and immediately they were all on their guard, looking around for the source of the voice.

“I-is there someone there? I can hear your voices… _please,_ turn on the light…” The woman was whispering and that’s when Natasha noticed the intercom speaker above the glass. 

The red-head pointed to it before Tony was looking around for the return speaker, wondering if it worked both ways or if there was a button they had to push. Natasha found it quickly, however, when she stepped up behind the desk where the two computers sat. 

“She can’t hear us properly. There’s a button here to page into the room. Her end is an open mic though,” Natasha told them.

“I-I’ll be good, _I swear_ …just- _please_ …could you turn on the light? Why have I been left in here for so long…?” The woman was asking timidly.

She sounded near tears and the group looked to one another uncomfortably. No one seemed to know what to do. “I’ll do better… _please_. I promise to do better. Please turn on the lights…you know how much the darkness-“ She sobbed then, clearly crying and the Team’s hearts clenched collectively.

“ _Okay_ …find the lights please. I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t even know this woman and she’s already breaking my heart,” Tony muttered, his brows knit tightly.

Natasha frowned a little, “Think this could be a trap?”

Bucky eyed the glass warily with Steve by his side. “It’s possible, but I don’t know. Tony-any way you can do a scan of the room? See what’s going on in there?” Bucky asked.

Tony nodded and flipped his face-plate back down. He took a moment before he breathed out a curse. “She’s alone. She’s at the glass and she can’t see us, that’s for sure. But-“ He started, shaking his head a little.

“But what?” Steve asked nervously.

“There’s something wrong with her hands…I’m just using a heat scan, but I’m not picking up much- _if any-_ heat in her hands. They’re cool, cooler than they should be,” Tony told them worriedly.

The Team frowned collectively, very confused by this little bit of information. “Any progress on the lighting situation?” Steve asked impatiently.

Natasha nodded, “I found it. It’ll turn on the lights in the room, but she still won’t be able to see us. I’ve also found the way to page into the room.”

Steve nodded and looked to his Team members, “I think it’s time we talked to her.”

They nodded slowly and Steve glanced towards Natasha, giving her a nod as if to say, ‘go ahead.’ Natasha hovered her finger over the button for a moment before she pressed it and started to speak.

"I'm going to turn on the lights-you may want to cover your eyes," Natasha told her gently. 

There was a soft murmur of thanks before Natasha turned the lights on; the small room filling with the harsh artificial lighting. The room was furnished with only a small cot, a sink and a toilet in the far corner. There was nothing of belongings to speak of, but the room wasn't by any means what the Team's attention was currently focused on. 

Up at the glass, in the middle of the window stood a young woman. She could have barely passed for a woman in her early twenties and she was completely naked. She looked incredibly thin, like she’d not eaten a decent meal in weeks as well.

Her nudity wasn't the only thing they noticed, however. Her hands...they were raised and resting on the glass, splayed wide. And they were both made of metal that stretched a little ways up her forearms, cutting off just shy of her elbows. 

She was standing there quietly, breathing deeply as she blinked away the pain of the light finally reaching her eyes. They watered from the sensitivity and she blinked hard a few times to clear her vision. She was staring ahead of her at them, but she clearly still couldn't see them. 

" _Jesus Christ-_ “ Bucky breathed, taking a step towards the glass. 

He tentatively reached up to place his own metal hand against the glass, over her own. The plating was so similar and he found himself utterly captivated by the woman before him. He stared into her eyes, their stormy grey depths drawing him in easily. He swallowed hard. 

"I-thank you for turning on the lights," She whispered. "A-are you a doctor?" She asked nervously. 

Natasha frowned and pressed the button down again, "No. I'm not a doctor."

"A scientist then?" The woman asked. 

"No," Natasha responded. 

"A handler then..." She whispered and the Team could see her entire demeanour change in that instant; she looked closed off, almost frightened. 

"I am none of those things," Natasha said quickly. 

The woman frowned, tilting her head. "Then...who are you?” She asked nervously.

"I could ask you the same question," Natasha said lowly. 

The woman swallowed hard, looking to the floor. "I-I'm not-I don't-" She started haltingly, her brows creasing deeply. 

"I don't know," She settled on before looking back up at the glass. 

"If you’re not one of those things, then where are my handlers?" She asked quietly. 

Natasha’s frown deepened, "It looks like they've left you here."

The woman's jaw tightened and she closed her eyes, bowing her head towards the glass. Her hair fell over her face, curtaining her from view. Her dark locks looked straggly, matted to her forehead and cheeks as she rest her forehead against the glass and took a deep, shaky breath. 

"Then you're here to terminate my program,” She whispered. 

Bucky let out a soft noise in the back of his throat and looked to Natasha, pain and panic clearly written on his face. The red-head glanced towards the young woman behind the glass, “No, we’re not here to do such a thing." 

The woman's frown deepened and she looked up, unseeingly at them. “Then, why are you here?" She whispered. 

"We came to take out the people that ran this place. But they seem to have left in quite the hurry some time ago. How long have you been here?" Natasha asked curiously.

"I-I'm not sure, a long time I think-my memories, they’re fuzzy. I-" She swallowed hard. "I've been left alone for a while. I haven't eaten anything in days, maybe weeks….I thought-I thought I did something _wrong_ -I thought I was being punished," She told them, a tear slipping down her cheek. 

"We need to get her out of here," Steve said firmly.

Bucky, Clint and Tony nodded and murmured their agreement. "Tony, see if you can figure out the door. There's something here on the computer; put your hacking skills to good use," Natasha said quickly before pushing the button on the intercom to speak to the woman again. 

"I'm sure this isn't your fault. I think they knew we were coming and abandoned their base. Someone tipped them off. What can you tell us about this place?" Natasha asked curiously as Tony started busying himself at the computer. 

"Not a lot," The woman murmured. "I was not permitted to leave my room very often and I was always escorted. Are-" She started but stopped short when the lights cut out suddenly. 

She cried out in dismay before she slammed her fists against the glass, " _Please!_ Turn the lights back on!" She shouted desperately.  
Bucky yelled over his shoulder at Tony who had clearly done something on the computer. 

"Shit- _shit_ -" Tony muttered before he punched a few commands into the computer and the lights flashed back on inside the room; but that wasn't the only thing. 

The glass was no longer able to hide their side of the room and when her eyes flashed open, they met with the grey-blue depths of Bucky's as he stood before her. His metal hand still raised and pressed against the glass near her own.

" _Soldat_ -" She breathed, her eyes wide, shock clearly written across her features. 

Bucky's eyes widened as he realized she could see him and then she was moving her right metal hand and pressing it to the glass against his own. "You know him?" Natasha snapped.

" _Yes_ -" The woman breathed, staring back at Bucky with wide eyes. 

"How do you know him?!" Natasha nearly shouted and the woman blinked hard, never tearing her eyes off the man in front of her.

"He-I was-I was being trained. I was to help him-to _serve him_ -" She stated haltingly. 

Bucky swallowed hard, his eyes wide as he watched her closely. "What do you mean?" Natasha asked impatiently.

"I was a _failure_. I was supposed to be a soldier. I was training, but-I was a _disappointment_. I was to be a soldier like him-to _serve him_ -to help him on missions," She gasped, tears springing to her eyes. 

"What the fuck-" Clint breathed.

"I wasn't good enough-they-they kept me for other tasks. Said I was better suited to serve _them_ ," The woman whispered, still unable to take her eyes off of the soldier in front of her. "When you escaped-they stopped wiping me...my memories started coming back and then they left me here-they left me here to die-" She whimpered, unable to break free of Bucky’s stare. 

Bucky frowned deeply and went to say something but remembered she couldn't hear him. "Are you going to leave me here?" The woman asked nervously, tears slipping down her cheeks.

Bucky shook his head quickly and the woman smiled, just a hint of a broken little thing. "They told me I would disappoint you, slow you down. I wasn't good enough yet-they gave up on me, told me I was a lost cause-a failed experiment and that you would probably kill me as soon as you saw me," She whispered. 

Bucky's frown deepened. "I wouldn't-" He said firmly, forgetting she couldn’t hear him. 

She tilted her head a little as if in understanding. ”You were different then. You would have, if I had slowed you down. You're free now though; you escaped-I-you have your memories back. You know who you are now...James Buchanan Barnes-“ She breathed. 

Bucky swallowed hard and nodded. She smiled a little more but it still looked so sad; so broken. “ _Please…_ take me with you? I'll do better-I’ll work harder, prove myself _worthy_ ; prove myself strong enough to help you-" She started quickly, practically begging.

"No-you've got this wrong. You don't need to prove yourself to any of us. You're a victim, much like he was," Natasha told her firmly. 

The woman slowly tore her gaze from the man in front of her to settle on the red-head behind him. "I need to earn my place-“ She told her weakly.

Bucky shook his head. " _No_ -Tony? You figured out the door yet?” Bucky asked the genius impatiently.

Tony nodded sharply, clearly in shock over the whole thing, "It unlocked when the lights went out."

Bucky took a deep breath and nodded, "We need to get her out of here, gather any data we can on her-about what they were doing here."

Natasha nodded before pressing the button for the intercom again, "We're going to get you out of here, but no-you don’t need to prove yourself to us. We just need to know one more thing-" 

The woman nodded quickly. "Are you a threat to us?" Natasha asked carefully.

The woman shook her head. ”I will not harm the people who have come to take me away from this prison,” She told them, looking back at Bucky as she met his gaze. 

"Do you believe her?" Natasha asked the group. 

" _Yes-_ " The Team said in unison. 

Natasha nodded. "We're going to come into the room now-" She told her. 

The woman nodded and pulled away from the glass, taking a few steps away. Steve went to the door and they watched as the blonde turned the handle. The door opened and no one moved for a moment at first. 

The woman was standing in the centre of the room looking nervous and frightened and the moment Steve stepped inside, she folded in on herself; wrapping her arms tightly around her torso as she ducked her head. She nervously met his gaze and he gave her a timid smile. 

"Hi there," Steve said gently. 

"You-you're Captain America," She whispered, and she looked as if she were in awe. 

Steve gave her a shy little smile and nodded. "You know who I am?" He asked curiously. 

She nodded a little. "Yes...I-they talked about you and I've seen pictures,” She said, swallowing hard. 

Steve gave her a lopsided smile, "Couldn't have been good things that were said about me, yeah?"

She nodded reluctantly, averting her gaze. "I didn't believe them…I think I remember learning about you in school when I was little,” She told him quietly. 

Steve smiled gently and nodded. "Why don't we get you wrapped up in that blanket there? You'll be warmer with it on. Do you not have any clothes?" He asked her gently. 

She shook her head, "I'm not permitted to wear any, no." 

Steve nodded, frowning as he motioned towards the bed, "Can I get the blanket for you?"

She nodded and stepped away from him, giving him a wide berth as he went to retrieve it. He picked it up and shook it out before he took a tentative step towards her. "You can come a little closer. I won't hurt you-I promise-just want to get you covered up,” He told her gently. 

She nodded and took a tentative step towards him, flinching terribly as he draped the blanket around her shoulders. "I-I'm sorry," Se stuttered when he quickly pulled away, having watched her recoil from him. 

"No, it's okay. I'm sorry-" He apologized and watched as she drew the blanket around herself, covering her body as best she could. 

She frowned and looked to the floor, trembling hard. "Come on, we should get you back to the jet," He told her quietly before he motioned towards the door. 

She nodded and nervously sidestepped him as she left the room. She looked around cautiously and took in the faces of the people in the room. When she let her eyes rest on Bucky once again, she took a nervous step towards him and timidly met his gaze. 

He was watching her quietly and he motioned towards her hands. "How did you lose your hands?" He asked tentatively. 

She frowned, her gaze never wavering from his own as she replied, "They took them from me."

He couldn't help the slight wince at that and he glanced towards Steve who now stood behind her, watching the pair with clear sadness reflected in his eyes. "We should go. It’s a long way back to the Tower. We can talk more on the ride back," Bucky told her gently. 

She nodded and took another step closer to him and he looked down at her curiously, clearly surprised by her stepping into his space. "I'm ready when you are," She murmured. 

He stared at her for a moment longer and nodded before he was heading out of the room with her and the rest of the Team in tow. Tony and Natasha split off from the group to check out the computer room and they gathered whatever data they could before wiping the system clean. 

Bucky held open the door for the young woman as they came to the South entrance and she blinked in surprise as she stepped out into the night. She shrunk back when she first saw the darkness but when her eyes adjusted, she realized that she could see pretty well. She realized why soon enough; it was the Moon. 

She stopped following the Soldier as they stepped outside and looked up at the Moon in awe. It had been so long since she had seen it and she couldn't help staring so openly up at the night sky and the Moon therein. 

Bucky turned to make sure she was still following them and when he realized she had stopped, he stopped too. He swallowed hard as he gazed upon her. Her head was tilted back as she looked up at the Moon and the night sky and he took a deep breath. 

She heard him and returned her gaze to him, her eyes brimming with tears. The way her eyes were being illuminated by the Moon was lovely and Bucky found himself caught up in them for a moment too long. "We should hurry," He said softly to her.

She simply nodded and followed him. When Tony and Natasha joined the Team back at the jet, they had managed to get the young woman into a pair of loose track pants and a sweater, which she had told them she was very grateful for. The Team said nothing about it and when they all gathered to take their seats in the main bay, Bucky sat down heavily and gave a weary sigh. 

He was in the midst of rubbing his eyes when the young woman came and kneeled down at his feet quietly, giving him a nervous glance as she did so. A noise of protest immediately left his lips and he shook his head. "What are you doing?" He asked in surprise. 

She trembled nervously and Bucky realized she looked frightened as she looked up at him. "Sitting with you. Should I stand?" She asked worriedly and she looked shocked, appalled that she had done something without his permission.

He shook his head quickly. “ _No_ -shit-come up here and sit in a proper seat. _Don't_ -" He huffed, trying to calm his voice. 

" _Don't_ _ever_ kneel at my feet again, okay? Or anyone's for that matter,” He told her sternly, still trying to calm himself and get rid of his anger.

She swallowed hard and nodded, glancing nervously around at the other people in the jet who were looking at her with such sadness in their eyes and she didn't know what to make of it all. She slowly rose to her feet and sat down beside him on the bench and folded her hands in her lap, carefully avoiding their gazes.

"I-I'm sorry,” She whispered. 

He shook his head quickly. “Hey, no-don’t be. It's not your fault. You did nothing wrong-it's just...the way you were treated by those people-by Hydra-it was _wrong_. Whatever they've told you to do, you don't have to do those things ever again. Alright?” He told her firmly. 

She frowned a little and looked to him, "But I'm meant to serve you-"

“ _No-_ " He said sternly. "You're not. You're your own person. Just...relax for now. We'll get you sorted. I just-I need a minute to process this, okay?” He pleaded with her.

She nodded quietly and shifted in her seat, clasping her hands in her lap a little tighter. He could hear the metal plates whirring as they shifted and he glanced down at them for a moment before he looked back up into her eyes. 

"I'm sorry...are you hungry?" He asked her gently, his tone softening.

The young woman nodded and he gave her a little smile. "I'm going to go get something for you to snack on for now, I'll be right back,” He told her as he went to stand. 

She quickly went to stand up as well and he shook his head. "Stay here. I'll only be gone a minute,” He told her gently. 

She nodded and sat back down, resting her hands in her lap once again. Her brows were drawn together tightly as she watched him go and then she was left alone with Tony, Clint, Natasha and Steve. 

Steve gave her a little smile before he too stood. “I'll be right back as well,” He told her as he started off after his friend.

She nodded in acknowledgement and watched him go and then two others were coming towards them. She stiffened and glanced towards Natasha nervously. "It's okay, these are some of our other Team members. I guess I should do introductions..." She said with a sigh as she motioned towards the brunette whom had just walked towards them, "This is Bruce, or Dr. Banner if you prefer."

Bruce smiled at her gently, "Hi there, just Bruce is fine."

The young woman nodded before glancing to the long haired brunette standing next to him. "This is Wanda," Natasha told her gently, to which Wanda smiled and waved lightly, but otherwise remained quiet. 

The young woman swallowed hard and nodded, "Hello."

"This is Clint," Natasha motioned towards the sandy haired man at her right and then towards the other brunette at her left. "And this is Tony," She told her gently. 

Both of the men just smiled at her softly and the young woman swallowed hard as she gave Tony a little longer of a look. "Where did your metal go?" She asked curiously. 

Tony smiled at her. "Ah, that's my suit. It's armour that I can remove whenever. Not like yours..." He said softly, glancing down at the hands she had folded in her lap. 

She nodded nervously and drew them out of her lap, moving to try and hide them under her thighs. “Oh-I'm sorry, you don't have to hide your hands," He told her quickly. 

She shifted a little and nodded before returning them to her lap. Tony's gaze fell to them once more and he smiled a little. The young woman bit her lower lip and glanced back at the red-head. 

"I didn't get your name,” She whispered. 

Natasha gave her a warm smile, "Natasha."

"We didn't get your name either," Bruce suddenly chimed in. 

"I-I don't have a name..." The young woman said softly. 

"No?" Bruce asked gently. 

She shook her head. "Well...what did they call you?" Clint asked curiously and Natasha shot him a dirty sideways glance. 

The young woman frowned a little and opened her mouth to speak when Bucky suddenly intervened. "Don't answer that question,” He said sternly as he strode towards them.

The young woman immediately closed her mouth and sat up a little straighter as she nodded sharply; pleased to have finally been given an order. Bucky gave Clint his finely honed murder face, "Think about what you just asked her-a _Hydra captive_." 

Clint's eyes widened and his jaw dropped open. "I'm sorry-I didn't- _shit_ , I'm so sorry,” He said quickly, glancing towards the young woman.

The young woman shook her head, "Don't apologize. You need something to call me, I understand."

Steve approached the little group then as well with a couple of bottles of water. He handed one to the Bucky and prodded Bucky's side a little. "Gonna give her those energy bars and one of these?" He asked quietly.

Bucky nodded, moving to sit down next to her. She flinched away as he extended two energy bars towards her as well as the bottle of water and he frowned. "You should eat something and drink something too. We'll fix you a proper meal when we get in,” He told her gently.

She nodded, hesitantly reaching out for the bottle of water and energy bars. "T-thank you," She whispered as she shifted back in her seat. 

"The jet's ready to go, Nat. You wanna’ come up front with me and we'll get this show on the road?" Clint asked. 

Natasha nodded. "Yeah, might as well,” She said as she stood and followed Clint towards the cockpit and within a few minutes they were airborne. 

The young woman was quiet; everyone was, really. They sat together, not really saying anything as they watched the young woman pretty well devour the two energy bars. She didn't meet anyone's gaze until she was finished eating and when she looked up, she caught Tony staring at her hands again. 

She frowned a little and flexed them. "Are you a technician?" She asked warily. 

Tony glanced up at her and quickly shook his head, "No? I mean-why?”

"You keep looking at my hands,” She whispered and Bucky snickered a little under his breath; why, she didn’t understand. 

"Do they bother you?” She asked, casting Bucky a sideways glance as well.

Tony shook his head quickly. “No-of course not-I’m just-I like technology. I'm a bit of a tinkerer,” He told her with a nervous chuckle.

She nodded sharply and swallowed hard, "Do you want to take a closer look at them?"

Tony's eyes widened, “Oh-no, it's okay. I'm sorry-I'm being so rude-"

She gave him a nervous smile, but it was clearly strained, "You're not being rude."

He huffed out a little laugh and shook his head before Bucky was distracting her with another bottle of water. She swallowed hard and accepted it before she drank it, this time a little more slowly. She sat back a bit more and looked around at the people who had rescued her and she swallowed down the lump in her throat.

“Thank you for not leaving me there,” She whispered.

“We wouldn’t have done that to you-to anyone for that matter. Whatever they did to you, you didn’t deserve it,” Bucky told her earnestly.

She nodded quietly and looked down at her hands. They stayed quiet for a moment before Steve was leaning forward in his seat next to Tony, his own hands clasped in front of him. He sighed. “How long were you held there?” He asked her curiously.

She frowned and looked over at him, “I don’t know for sure. I think they took me when I was 16-my last birthday-” She visibly shuddered. “I-it was the 9th time they celebrated,” She told them quietly.

Steve glanced to Bucky who had a look of complete and utter horror on his face and he grimaced as he nodded. The other Team members were quiet, however. “That would make you 25 then,” Steve said gently.

She nodded and bit her lower lip, “I guess so.” 

Steve scrubbed a hand over his face and nodded, huffing out an angry breath. She watched him quietly for a moment, fear slowly rising inside of her. “I’m sorry-did I say something wrong?” She asked quickly.

Steve met her gaze and shook his head, “No, of course not. I’m sorry if I seem angry, it’s because I am. Not at you-you’ve done nothing wrong. I’m angry at Hydra-“

“For what they did to you,” Bucky clarified, turning to look at her. “Hydra is a disgusting monstrosity that we’ve been working to eradicate and we just-we’re always finding more things to hate about them every time we encounter one of their bases,” He said gruffly.

The young woman nodded, “I understand.”

Bucky nodded and met her gaze and he could tell that she truly did. She had been through hell and in that moment, it was all reflected in her eyes. He swallowed hard and nodded once again and they spent the rest of the flight back in near silence.

When they touched down on the roof of the Tower, the young woman was feeling more than a little uneasy. She had no idea what to expect, what these people were really like and what they might do to her and she found herself starting to tremble at the mere thought of them bringing her more pain.

She wanted to trust them-to give them the benefit of the doubt-but she didn’t do so well with trusting anyone. She really didn’t want to disappoint them either. She glanced to the Soldier as he led the way off the jet and she followed nervously behind him. 

As she stepped onto the landing pad, however, she was free to look up into the sky once more and take in the sight of the Moon. She smiled, a broken little thing and stared longingly at the beautiful sphere in the sky. 

Bucky stopped when he realized she was no longer following him and he turned to find her looking up at the night sky and the Moon once again. Her eyes were beautifully illuminated by the Moon’s light. 

“Come on _little Moon_ ,” He murmured softly, whispering the name to her in Russian. 

The young woman blinked in surprise and looked to him, her cheeks warming. No one could see her blush thanks to the darkness around them, but she felt it nevertheless. She swallowed hard and started towards him again as he turned and headed into the building. The rest of the Team followed them quietly and Bucky led them into an elevator where they then went down to the med bay. 

“We just want to get some blood work, maybe a couple of scans of your hands. Just to see how you’re doing,” Bucky told her. “Is that alright?”

She nodded as she followed him into a very sterile looking room and she froze in the doorway, Steve at her back. He almost collided with her when she stopped so suddenly and he looked down at her curiously. 

She was staring wide eyed at the clear amount of white, sterile walls and taking in the counters with instruments and machines and the couple of hospital like beds in the middle of the room.

“Uh, _Buck-_ “ Steve started nervously.

Bucky turned and saw the look of fear clearly written across the woman’s face and he back-pedalled, his own eyes widening in surprise. “Oh _shit_ -I-I’m sorry. You don’t have to be frightened-we’re not going to hurt you, I swear- _I promise_ -“ He told her quickly, coming back to stand before her.

He got too close though and she immediately backed up, only to bump into Steve and she made a sort of choked distressed sound in the back of her throat before she managed to get away from them both. 

She plastered herself up against one of the walls, looking wide-eyed and frightened and Bucky outstretched his hands to her in what he hoped was a placating gesture. “Easy-easy- _hey_ , we’re not going to hurt you. It’s alright, I’m sorry. I didn’t-I didn’t think this through. I know places like this must scare the absolute shit out of you,” He told her earnestly.

She trembled even harder and continued to meet his gaze, “I-I don’t want to be here. _Please-_ can we go?”

Bucky nodded gently, “Do you think you could let us at least do some blood work?”

She stared at him for a long moment before she nodded nervously, “Okay-”

He nodded carefully and glanced over to the bed, “Do you want to sit down while we do it?”

She shook her head, “Can-can I just stand?”

Bucky nodded and motioned towards Bruce, “Dr. Banner is going to take a small sample, just enough to tell us about your health. That’s all. Right, Bruce?”

Bruce nodded as he stepped towards them. He had already gone to grab a couple of vials and the proper supplies. “Just a little pin prick and we’ll be done, I promise,” Bruce told her gently.

She nodded sharply and swallowed hard, quietly extending her arm towards him. Bruce glanced to Bucky before he took a tentative step towards her. She watched him approach and he slid up the sleeve of her sweater past the edge where metal met flesh. As he moved to put the band around her bicep, she flinched away terribly.

He pretended not to notice, nor stare at the scarring around the seam, carefully making sure to put himself between the others and her so that no one else saw it. He pulled the band taught before he lifted her arm at the elbow. She quickly looked away when she caught sight of the needle and swallowed hard, bracing herself.

“Take a deep breath,” He murmured and he waited until she had taken a couple of short shaky breaths and then a much longer one.

He smiled a little and as carefully as possible, poked her with the needle. She didn’t even flinch and he was able to fill up two vials without so much as a sideways glance. When he withdrew the needle and unstrapped the piece of elastic from her bicep, she glanced down at her arm curiously. 

“You’re done?” She asked incredulously.

Bruce smiled gently at her and nodded, “Didn’t hurt a bit, did it?”

She shook her head and watched him quietly for a moment, swallowing down the lump in her throat. “I can’t-I can’t get sick, you know,” She told him in nothing more than a whisper.

He cocked his head a bit, “No?”

She shook her head, lowering her arm a little as she pulled down the sleeve on her sweater. “I have a serum in me-like the Soldier’s,” She murmured, glancing towards Bucky. 

Bruce swallowed hard and glanced over to Bucky with a frown. Bucky likewise wore a similar expression, as did the other Team members. 

"I see...listen, you must be really hungry. Why don't we get you some food?" Bruce suggested.

The young woman looked to Bucky for confirmation and he nodded. “Wanda, maybe you could take her up to our apartment. Get her settled with something to eat and she can stay in our spare bedroom," Bucky told her gently. 

Wanda nodded, but she looked a little curious, so Bucky clarified. "I ain't lettin' her sleep in another cell. She can take the guest bedroom. She's not a threat, she told us herself," Bucky said earnestly. 

The young woman swallowed hard, "T-thank you."

Bucky shook his head, "Don't mention it. Now-get going. You look starved." 

Wanda went to the door and motioned for the young woman to follow but she looked between Bucky and Wanda for a moment as if torn. "Will you join us later?" She asked nervously. 

Bucky gave her a reassuring smile, "Yeah, I'll see you later." 

She nodded before she hesitantly went after Wanda and the rest of the Team watched after the pair as they left. Steve came up beside him then, watching as the doors slid shut behind the women. “She seems to like you, Buck," Steve murmured. 

Bucky’s smile slipped, clearly having been forced and he frowned and glanced towards his friend. "For all the wrong reasons, surely,” He muttered. 

Steve frowned a little and sighed. “We should start sifting through the files-see what we find,” Natasha said gently. 

The Team murmured their agreement and went over to one of the bigger labs. Before long they were thoroughly immersed in the files they had gathered from the Hydra base and were incredibly disturbed by what they had found.

"What sick, sadistic fucks-" Bucky muttered and Steve frowned deeply, reaching out to rub his friend’s back.

"This is some awful shit right here," Clint muttered darkly. 

Steve nodded gravely and glanced towards Natasha, Tony and Bruce who were likewise perturbed. “They took her from an orphanage, not even her name was looked into and she was only 16...she's 25 and they were fucking _grooming her_ -for-for _what?_ To _help me_ on missions? That's _bullshit_ right there-I didn't need help with my missions. She kept saying to _serve me_ and I hate to say it, but I think they wanted us to breed," Bucky muttered angrily. 

Steve frowned deeply and rubbed at his eyes. "The hand thing-" Tony gestured with a sigh. "What made them _do_ that? It doesn't say anything here about her having an accident or problems with them, so what prompted them to replace them?" He asked, his brows pinched in concern. 

Bucky shook his head, "Probably nothing. They probably just wanted to test out their tech.”

Tony's frown deepened, looking down at his own hands and Bruce sighed deeply. “This serum is just like yours, James. She theoretically should be as strong as you, but all this data says that she's not. I'm confused-I mean-her test results that they gathered state that she couldn't keep up to your recorded strengths. It just doesn't make sense,” Bruce told them with a sigh.

Bucky sighed deeply, "I don't know. Maybe they never gave her a chance." 

Steve frowned, “We should talk to her about it later. Find out what they told her, because this data is misleading." 

Natasha nodded, "We should probably go and check on them." 

Bucky stood and nodded and soon the Team was heading up to their suite together.

 

Wanda glanced over at the young woman and gave her a timid smile. "Why don't you have a seat and I'll fix you something to eat? I think there are some leftovers from Steve's dinner last night. He made pasta, do you like pasta?” Wanda asked her curiously.

The young woman frowned a little, "I don't know." 

Wanda gave her a gentle smile and pulled out the Tupperware from the fridge. She warmed up a large portion in the microwave and put it into a bowl for the woman. Setting it down in front of her with a tall glass of water and a fork, the young woman looked at it curiously. "It smells good," She whispered. 

Wanda smiled, "It is, go ahead. Take a bite." 

The young woman nodded and picked up the fork, looking at it oddly for a moment before she speared one of the penne noodles. Slowly she brought it to her lips and took a tentative bite. A couple of minutes later, the bowl was empty. 

“So...did you like it?" Wanda asked with a chuckle. 

The young woman smiled a little, "It was really good. I usually only get to eat nutrient shakes."

Wanda shook her head, "Well...no more of that. Are you still hungry?” 

The woman smiled gently and took a sip of her water, shaking her head. “No, thank you very much though.”

Wanda watched her quietly for a moment before glancing down the hall towards where the bedrooms were. "Do you think you'd like to wash up? Maybe take a shower or a bath?" Wanda asked gently.

The woman seemed to tense up at the word shower and Wanda grimaced, "Maybe a nice warm bath then?" 

The young woman nodded nervously, “Okay.”

Wanda smiled and dropped the dishes into the sink before she started down the hall with the young woman in tow. "This'll be your room," She told her and the young woman nodded and followed her into the bedroom. 

It was rather spacious, definitely much larger than the cell she had been cooped up in for years. She took a little look around and then watched as Wanda opened up a door on the other side of the room. 

"The bathroom's just through here. There are towels and shampoos and everything you could possibly need, so don't be shy. You can use whatever you like," She told her with a smile. 

The young woman stepped into the bathroom and looked around nervously, "I-thank you...I don't-I've never-" She seemed not to know what to say and huffed out a little breath. 

"What's the matter?" Wanda asked curiously. 

"I've never...a bath-" She stuttered, frowning deeply. "That I can remember..."

Wanda's eyes widened a little, "You don't think you remember ever taking a bath? Is that it?"

The young woman nodded nervously. "I don't know what to do..." She whispered.

Wanda watched her quietly for a moment before she nodded sharply, determination settling across her brow, "Right then-you just have a seat on the stool there...and I'll draw you a bath, okay?" 

The young woman swallowed hard and went to sit down, watching as Wanda busied herself with running the water and chatting about how it was best to check the temperature. She pulled out a jar of bath salts as well as a bottle of bubble bath to add to the water once it was the right temperature. She explained everything she was doing in hopes that the young woman would learn and be able to draw herself a bath in the future.

Wanda smiled over her shoulder at the young woman as she pulled a towel down out of the linen closet and set it on the side of the tub. “Why don’t I give you a moment to get undressed and get into the water, then I’ll come back in and wash your hair for you. Does that sound alright?” Wanda asked gently.

The young woman simply nodded and Wanda smiled lightly before she slipped out of the room. “Just let me know when I can come in. I’ll be just outside the door,” She told her as she shut the door behind her. 

The young woman continued to sit on the little stool for a moment before she took a deep breath and stood up, carefully divesting herself of the clothing she had been given. She folded them neatly and set them down on the counter top by the sink before she strode towards the bath tub.

She eyed the water nervously for a moment, taking in all the bubbles and biting her lower lip nervously, she gazed down at the water. She tentatively slipped a foot into the tub, testing the temperature before she sighed in content at the warmth that hit her. 

Her cheeks flushed a little as she slipped into the water easily and sat down. She was facing the door as she drew her legs up, wrapping her arms around herself protectively. She glanced towards the closed bathroom door and cleared her throat a little, “You can come in, Wanda.”

The door opened slowly and Wanda poked her head in, smiling brightly when she saw the young woman sitting in the water surrounded by bubbles. “How is it?” She asked curiously as she came to sit at the edge of the tub on the woman’s left side.

The young woman smiled nervously. “It’s nice and warm…thank you,” She murmured.

Wanda smiled gently and shook her head, “Just try and relax. I love taking baths, they can be really peaceful, an easy way to get rid of stress for sure.”

The young woman nodded and squeezed her knees against her chest a little more. Wanda smiled softly at her and picked up a bottle of shampoo, “Do you think it’d be alright if I washed your hair? I promise not to hurt you, I’ll be really gentle, I promise.”

The young woman glanced at the bottle of shampoo, “It’s okay…you can.”

Wanda smiled and shifted a bit, “You’ll have to get your hair wet first. If you just lie back a little, you don’t have to put your face in the water at all; just tilt your head back into the water to get it wet.”

The young woman nodded, carefully letting go of her legs as she allowed herself to lean back slightly into the water. She tried not to panic as the water started to cover her shoulders and she stared up at Wanda quietly as she took a few quick breaths and wet her hair. 

Wanda just smiled at her warmly. “That’s great, you can sit up again and I’ll put this in your hair and work up a lather. I’ll even give you a scalp massage too; those were always my favourite growing up,” She said with a chuckle. 

The young woman tried to smile as she sat back up, but it was clearly strained. Wanda didn’t comment and instead poured a bit of shampoo into the palm of her hand. She closed the lid and set it down on the edge of the bath tub before rubbing her hands together and showing them to the young woman.

“Just tilt your head back and I’ll touch your hair, okay? Still alright with that?” Wanda asked.

The young woman nodded, “Y-yes.”

Wanda gave her a reassuring smile and watched as the young woman tipped her head back and soon Wanda was reaching out to work her hands and the shampoo into her hair. At first, she tensed up, shutting her eyes and began to tremble, but Wanda was comforting in a way the young woman hadn’t foreseen.

As Wanda’s hands gently worked the shampoo into her long hair, starting at the scalp with careful, gentle motions; she also let the young woman feel her energy, the calmness of her own mind to help quiet the woman’s. 

She didn’t understand how she did it, but she supposed it had something to do with why the woman was surrounded by people like the Solider and Captain America. She wondered if this was a part of her own uniqueness, but decided not to ask for the time being. 

The young woman swallowed hard and tried to relax as Wanda continued to exude calmness and a reassuring air about her. She let the woman massage her scalp and she couldn’t believe that something like this could feel so nice. 

She let herself relax into it and for almost half an hour, she let Wanda wash her hair twice with shampoo and then once with conditioner. They didn’t speak really, just relaxed in one another’s presence and while they waited for the conditioner to set, Wanda had handed her a loofa with a bit of body wash to wash the rest of her body. 

By the time they rinsed out the conditioner and Wanda thought she was clean enough, they had been in the bathroom for almost an hour. Wanda held up a towel for her and averted her gaze as the young woman stood and wrapped herself up in it.

Wanda smiled warmly at her before making her way towards the door, “I’ll be out in the kitchen when you’re dressed. There are new brushes, toothbrushes and toothpastes and such in the drawer there that you can use. Think you’ll be alright?”

The young woman smiled softly and nodded, “Yes, thank you Wanda. I truly appreciate you helping me.”

Wanda just gave her a warm smile and nodded, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll meet you out in the kitchen in a moment, alright?” 

The young woman nodded and soon Wanda was shutting the door behind her as she went to the kitchen. Sighing softly she glanced towards the clothes she had been leant and after towel drying her body and her hair, she stepped into them. 

She made use of a toothbrush and eyeing the hair brush warily, she picked it up. She didn’t exactly have fond memories of having brushes used on her hair in the past, so she picked it up and went out into the bedroom. 

Glancing around nervously, she found the space to be quiet and so she headed out into the hallway towards the kitchen. Wanda was just finishing washing the dishes she had used earlier and the young woman came into the kitchen, looking very nervous. 

Wanda glanced over at her with a smile and dried her hands on a tea-towel, “Everything okay?”

The young woman nodded, glancing down at the hair brush in her hands. “Y-yes…but I was-I was wondering if you might be able to brush my hair?” She asked nervously.

Wanda smiled at her and nodded, “I can definitely do that for you. Why don’t you have a seat on the sofa in the living room?”

The young woman nodded and went to sit down on the sofa, shifting a little as she made herself comfortable. Wanda came into the living room and gave her a reassuring smile, “I’m just going to sit behind you on the back of the couch, okay?”

The young woman nodded, swallowing thickly. She was nervous, but she felt calm and reassured around this woman and for whatever reason, she trusted her not to harm her in any way. Wanda smiled gently and hopped up behind her on the couch, reaching out for the hair brush and the young woman gave it to her.

Wanda just smiled at her reassuringly, “I’ll be gentle, just like when I washed your hair, alright?”

The young woman nodded before she forced herself to try and relax. Wanda just smiled and started to brush through the woman’s long, dark locks. She had beautiful dark brown hair and now that it was washed, Wanda could see just how lovely it was. 

“Your hair is gorgeous, I’m definitely envious of your natural colour,” Wanda told her with a chuckle.

The young woman smiled a little, “Thank you, your hair is lovely too.”

Wanda smiled and continued to brush out the young woman’s hair, mindful of the tangles and trying not to tug too hard. “Why did the Soldier call me _little Moon?”_ She asked softly, speaking the name in Russian after a little while of silence.

Wanda shook her head, “I’m not sure, what does it mean? I don’t speak Russian,”

The young woman nodded, “It means, little Moon.”

Wanda nodded, the corners of her lips turning up into a slight smile, “Ah, perhaps you should ask him?”

The young woman shook her head, “I don’t want to bother him with such a silly question.”

Wanda frowned a little, “It isn’t silly and besides; you should only be called by what you want to be called. You don’t have a name, so I think perhaps he was calling you that in lieu of one. Like, a nickname of sorts. But if it bothers you or you don’t wish to be called that, then you should tell him.”

The young woman frowned, but then shook her head, “I don’t have a name. He may call me whatever he pleases-“

Wanda shook her head, “That’s not right either. If there is something you wish to be called, then you need to say so; when you’re ready, of course. But if someone calls you something you don’t like, including James, then you need to tell him. Alright?”

The young woman nodded, ducking her head. “I liked being called _little Moon,_ ” She told her in barely a whisper. “Does the Soldier prefer to be called James?” She asked quietly.

Wanda smiled, “Yes or Bucky. But if you want to call him James, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

The young woman simply nodded. Wanda smiled lightly and continued to brush out her hair and after a few minutes, they heard the sound of the elevator dinging in the entryway. They both turned their heads to see the rest of the Team step out and start in towards them. 

They were all very quiet as they made their way towards where Wanda and the young woman sat. She swallowed hard as Wanda stopped brushing her hair and set the brush aside before she slipped off the back of the couch to sit next to the young woman. 

Bucky met her gaze as he came over to sit down across from the women on the coffee table and the others filtered in to either sit or stand nearby. The young woman was watching them all nervously, but most of her attention was focused on the man in front of her. 

Bucky smiled at her gently, "Did you get something to eat?"

The young woman nodded. “Yes. Wanda gave me some pasta...she said that Steve made it..." She told him, glancing over at the blonde who was smiling at her. 

"I really liked it," She told him in a small voice.

Steve’s smile widened, "That's good."

Bucky likewise smiled and sighed a little. "I'm glad you liked it. And you got cleaned up too...I'm sure we can find you some more clothes tomorrow in your size. The girls can help you, I'm sure." He told her, casting both Natasha and Wanda a quick glance. 

The young woman nodded and Bucky gently clasped his hands in front of him as he leaned a little closer to her. She forced herself not to flinch away and instead focused on his eyes."We went over a lot of the data we collected and we couldn't find a lot of information and frankly, some of it just doesn't make sense," He told her with a huff. 

She frowned a little, "What do you mean?"

Bucky heaved a weary sigh and met her gaze. "The testing they did on you, after the serum-you should be a lot stronger than what they have on paper. Care to enlighten us?" He asked with a slight eyebrow raise.

The young woman averted her gaze, ducking her head nervously and as if she wasn't already curious enough, that didn't help matters. "I-its a long story," She whispered. 

Bucky shrugged and made himself more comfortable, as did a few of the others, "We ain't going anywhere. Go on." 

The young woman swallowed hard and nodded, shifting in her seat. She clasped her hands in her lap and tried not to fidget nervously as she tried to think of where to start. "I didn't ever let them see my real strength. I was careful...because I knew what they wanted me for," She told him in barely more than a whisper. 

"And what was that?" Bucky asked warily. 

She swallowed hard and continued to stare down at her hands, "I didn't want to be a disappointment to you. They said if I was strong enough, fast enough and if I could prove myself- _worthy-_ I would carry a child-your child. I didn't-I didn't want to be a disappointment, so I lied. I pretended to fail at meeting your strength records-I am as strong as you-I just-I didn't want that..." She told him earnestly. 

Bucky's brows were pinched up, his face contorted in clear disgust. Not for this woman, not for what she had done, but for all that Hydra had done to her; all that Hydra had planned for her-for _them_. 

He swallowed hard and nodded, trying to get past that bit of information, "Earlier, you said that they stopped wiping you. Can you tell me more about that?" 

She nodded, still staring at her hands. "When you disappeared, they stopped my program. They didn't tend to me as often and they stopped using that machine on me...my memories slowly started to come back, but a lot is still so hazy. I don't remember who I am, really, just little things here and there,” She confessed. 

Bucky nodded and scrubbed his flesh and blood hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay, so...I need you to know that whatever they told you to do-for me or whatever- I just- _don't_ do those things, okay? You're your own person and you need to make your own decisions, your own choices,” He told her sternly.

The young woman’s frown deepened and she lifted her gaze to look at the brunette. "Do you understand what I'm telling you?" Bucky asked firmly. 

The woman nodded slowly and shifted in her seat, ”I understand-I know what it means to make my own choices. I just...it's not easy for me.”

Bucky gave her a reassuring smile, "Believe me, I know what that's like. But these guys..." He motioned towards the other Team members. "They were there for me every step of the way. I still struggle to make choices and do some things on my own, but they get it. We're all here to help... _if_ that's something you want,” Bucky told her. 

The young woman slowly nodded, "It is...I just-I don't want to be a disappointment-“ She nearly whimpered. 

Bucky frowned and shook his head, "There is no way you could disappoint anyone. Just, be yourself-whoever that may be and you'll get through it. You're a super-soldier, just like Steve and I and if it's something you might be interested in down the line-I think Steve would like to extend a special invitation to you...once you're back on your feet, of course." 

The young woman turned her gaze towards Steve who was standing off by the television, arms crossed in front of his chest as he watched the pair. He was smiling fondly at Bucky and he looked so proud of his friend. 

He shifted his gaze then to meet hers and gave her a little nod, to which she quickly ducked her head and averted her gaze, preferring to focus on her hands once again. Bucky just smiled, his head tilting a little to the side as he regarded her. 

"We can all work through this together. But right now, I think you should get some sleep and tomorrow we'll get you settled in a bit more. I don't want you left alone either, you’re in a new, strange place and I think it would be best if we had someone with you in case you need something. How do you feel about that?" He asked her gently. 

The young woman simply nodded, "That sounds okay. I understand you don't know me and want to make sure that your Team is safe. I don't mind being put under observation.”

Bucky shook his head, "It's not observation, not really. We want to be there in case you need us and we want to make sure you're okay. We don't know a lot about you, yes; but if you trust us…I’m sure we can trust you. You've already been very open with us about what you know."

She nodded a little and glanced up through lowered lashes at him. He simply smiled at her, "Why don't you go and get some sleep, yeah? Do you need anything?"

She shook her head, “No...I'm alright. Sleep sounds like a good idea though.”

Bucky smiled at her and nodded and then Wanda was rising to her feet next to the young woman. "Come on, I'll get you settled in. Plus, you haven't met Jarvis yet,” Wanda told her with a little smile. 

The young woman nodded and got to her feet, casting a nervous glance over at Bucky who just nodded towards her with a little half smile. She looked towards Steve and then the others scattered around the living room and let out a shaky breath. "Thank you," She said, just loud enough for them to hear. 

They all gave her their own little smiles and Wanda motioned her towards the bedrooms. The young woman hesitated for only a moment, her gaze lingering on Bucky before she followed after the woman, wrapping her arms about herself as she went. 

Wanda pushed open the door and went inside and sat down on the edge of the bed, "I thought it best not to startle you in front of everyone, but I thought you might like to meet Jarvis. He's an artificial intelligence system built by Tony. This is actually his building as well.”

The young woman nodded and came over to the bed to sit down not far from the woman. "Hey Jarvis, care to introduce yourself?" Wanda asked the room. 

The young woman looked around curiously when suddenly Jarvis responded. "Hello, Miss. I am Mr.Stark's A.I. I control many of the Tower's features and you can reach me at any time in any room of the Tower," Jarvis told her. 

The young woman looked around curiously, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from. She was incredibly confused and Wanda just smiled gently at her. "I...can you see me?" She asked curiously. 

"I can, depending on which room you are in. I am equipped with cameras in most rooms, however, not in private quarters. I can hear you and interact with you in just about every room in the Tower though," He told her.

The young woman nodded nervously, "I see.”

Wanda smiled, "He's very helpful. Ask him just about anything and he'll help you out, alright?"

The young woman nodded and she watched as Wanda stood, clasping her hands in front of her as she observed the young woman for a moment. "Are you sure there's nothing I can get you before I go?” She asked gently.

The young woman shook her head, "No...I'm alright. Thank you again, Wanda."

Wanda just nodded and gave her a little smile, "Not to worry. I'm going to go and see who will be staying here tonight. Steve and James are just across the hall from you, but one of us will probably stay out in the living room in case you need anything. So don't be afraid to come out and get us or just ask Jarvis if you need one of us or anything at all really." 

The young woman nodded and swallowed hard, "Could you...could you stay for a moment while I get into bed? You-you’re calming. Earlier when you were helping wash my hair, something you did helped me relax and I don't think I can sleep just yet.” 

Wanda smiled gently and nodded, reaching to pull down the bed covers, "Why don't you get comfortable and I'll do it again, okay? It's nothing special, but I can just press my calm thoughts to you and it'll help you relax." 

The young woman nodded nervously before she crawled into bed and just as she was getting comfortable, Wanda asked Jarvis to turn down the lights. Immediately she was in a panic. “W- _wait-_ please leave the lights on. I-I don't like the dark,” She said hurriedly. 

Wanda nodded and Jarvis left the lights on, making no attempt to dim them. "That's alright, we don't have to turn them off," Wanda told her soothingly. 

The young woman nodded and tried to stop trembling, having started when the mention of the lights being turned down began. Wanda shifted to sit next to her on the bed and for a brief moment, the young woman shied away but Wanda just kept her seat. 

"You can relax, I'm not going to hurt you. Same as before, I'm just going to rest my hands against your head and calm you, okay?" Wanda told her. 

The young woman was quiet for a moment before she nodded and tried to stay still. Wanda shifted closer before she reached over the young woman, resting her fingertips in her hair, her thumbs grazing against her temples. She massaged gently for a moment before she let her powers take over, slowly clearing her mind and pressing in calm thoughts. 

She was not prepared, however, for the wave of emotions and memories that clouded over the young woman's mind as she let the woman's mind rest long enough for her to slip into sleep. Wanda trembled hard as she watched the woman slip into a dreamless sleep and slowly she pulled away, tears stinging her eyes and threatening to spill. 

She rose shakily from the bed and slipped out of the room on unsteady legs. She made it to the living room, but just barely. She could hear the Team talking quietly amongst themselves and she came to stand at the edge of one of the sofas, looking but not seeing anything around her. 

She could hear her name being called but it was a distant murmur. She felt a hand on her shoulder and was relieved when she looked up to see that it was Bucky's metal hand grasping her worriedly. 

She pulled away quickly. "D-don't-I can't-I'm overwhelmed. If you touch me I won't be able to hide what I'm feeling,” She gasped. 

Bucky let his hand drop and watched her curiously. "What-" Bucky started, but then Steve was stepping up beside her, watching her worriedly. 

"What did you see?" Steve asked hesitantly, desperately wanting to reach out to the young woman to soothe her; he’d always felt like he took on more of a fatherly role when it came to Wanda and he wanted to be there for her however he could.

Wanda shook her head quickly, gasping out as the tears started to fall freely. Steve's brows pinched up and he frowned deeply. "C'mere," He murmured, opening his arms to her. 

She hesitated for a split second before a broken sob escaped her and she flung herself into his arms, careful not to touch her palms to him. His frown deepened and he wrapped her up in his strong arms, holding her tightly against him. "Wanda..." He whispered, kissing her hair lightly. 

Bucky was right next to them, even Tony, Clint, Natasha and Bruce had come over tomake sure she was alright. "I- _oh God_ -" She choked. "I was just trying to clear her thoughts so she could sleep-I didn't-I didn't mean to _look_ -" She gasped out wetly against Steve's chest.

Bucky shook his head. "What did you see?" He asked nervously. 

She sobbed harder and shut her eyes tightly. "They-they _raped_ her, beat her-they did horrible things to her,” She breathed, whimpering softly. 

"W-when you left-they made it so she couldn't have children and they raped her over and over again- _God_ - _I can't-_ " She nearly cried and Steve rubbed her back soothingly, his face just as horror stricken as the rest of the Team's. 

It took them over an hour to calm Wanda down and she refused to leave the apartment, wanting to stay close to the young woman in case she needed someone or something- _anything at all_ , she had told them. 

No one slept a whole lot, all too wrapped up in their own thoughts about what they had found out about Hydra's dealings with the young woman. The Team dozed on the couches and chairs in the living room while Steve and Bucky disappeared to their room. Tony had decided around two in the morning to go to the workshop to destress and Bruce did the same, only heading to his lab instead. They all agreed to come back in the morning, however. 

Natasha had disappeared to her apartment to pick up some clothes she thought the young woman might fit into and Wanda disappeared to do the same as quickly as possible. Whereas Clint managed to stay awake the entire night by distracting himself with video games and coffee. 

For the entirety of the night, the young woman managed to sleep peacefully in the room down the hall, oblivious to the goings on with the Team. It was just on seven in the morning and only Natasha, Clint, Wanda and Bruce were in the living room currently. 

They were all sipping coffee and either reading or just resting in the early hours of the morning. Sunlight was filtering into the living room from the floor to ceiling windows and everyone; although a little sleep deprived, were feeling pretty content. 

The young woman awoke slowly, her breathing growing deeper as she started to stretch. She groaned softly and turned onto her side, dragging the blankets around herself a little more. She sighed and blinked a couple of times to get her eyes to focus. 

She was glad the lights were still on and she smiled a little. "Thank you for keeping the lights on for me, Jarvis,” She murmured. 

"You are very welcome, Miss," The A.I. replied. 

She slipped out from beneath the covers and subsequently out of bed and stretched, the whirring of the metal plates of her hands loud in the quiet of the room. She took a deep breath and stepped over to the dresser where there was a mirror. She tried to fix her hair and shifted slightly from foot to foot as she straightened her shirt and readjusted her sweat pants.

She bit her lower lip gently when she heard the door across the hall open and close and soft footsteps head in the direction of the living room and kitchen. She went back towards the bed and made it up quietly, making sure it was all put back together neatly. 

Afterwards, she went towards the bedroom door, swallowing hard before she opened the door and poked her head out into the hallway. She couldn't see anyone, but she could hear soft murmuring coming from the outer rooms. Quietly, she stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind her. 

She made her way down the hallway and into the living room, nervously rubbing her arm as she stepped over to the couch to find Wanda and Natasha sprawled out together looking at something on a tablet. 

Natasha looked up at her and gave her a soft smile. “Morning," She greeted. 

The young woman smiled tentatively back at her, “Morning.” 

Wanda looked up from the tablet then. "How did you sleep?" She asked timidly. 

The young woman smiled gently, "Very well, thank you." 

Wanda and Natasha both smiled at her and hesitantly, the young woman joined them on the couch. "The boys are just making breakfast, should be ready any minute now," Natasha told her. 

The young woman nodded, glancing in the direction of the kitchen. She watched as Steve poured himself a cup of coffee at the coffee maker and leaned back against the counter top to sip idly at his drink. Bucky was busy beside him at the stove making eggs and bacon for everyone and Steve glanced to him over the edge of his mug with a little smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Bucky seemed to catch his eye and he smiled warmly at the blonde before he leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. The young woman's eyes widened in surprise and not two seconds later, Tony was striding through the living room, playing very much the part of a zombie as he beelined for the pair. 

The genius stepped up to Steve and reached up with a grabby hands motion for the cup of coffee, to which Steve simply chuckled and handed him his mug before leaning in and pressing a kiss to the brunette's forehead. 

Tony smiled sleepily as he took a sip from the mug before he looked up at the blonde through lowered lashes and murmured his good morning. Steve said his good morning back and Bucky leaned back towards the pair to place a gentle kiss on Tony's cheek. 

The young woman's eyes were as wide as saucers as she watched the three and when she realized she was blatantly staring, she averted her gaze and managed to glance back towards the two women at her side. 

Natasha had noticed her watching the men and just gave her a warm smile, to which the young woman’s cheeks pinked. She glanced over towards the men again, only to find Steve smiling at her sweetly. 

She swallowed hard and quickly averted her gaze and before long Steve was calling them over to join them for breakfast. They all ate together, simply discussing plans for the day ahead of them. The young woman was quiet for most of the meal, just watching and listening to the conversations going on around her. 

Natasha and Wanda had noticed her quiet demeanour and had tried to bring her into their conversations. It didn’t work for very long, however, as she didn’t seem to have much in the way to add to them.

She clearly hadn’t been exposed to television or music or much in the way of socialization either since her time with Hydra and it clearly showed. “Well, maybe we can slowly introduce you to things,” Natasha suggested.

1 “Sort of like what we did with Steve and Bucky,” Wanda added with a little smile.

The young woman glanced over the table towards where Steve and James sat together, listening to the two women converse and they smiled at her warmly. “Everyone sort of took on different roles, showing us different things and it worked rather well, I thought,” Bucky told her lightly.

Steve nodded and murmured his agreement with a little smile and the young woman returned it. “Whatever you think is best,” She whispered.

Bucky gave his head a shake, “Well, that’s not how this works. What do you want? What do you want to learn about?”

The young woman’s brows creased and she looked down at her hands folded in her lap. She flexed them and listened to the metal plates whir as they shifted and realigned. “I-I don’t know what to want…” She told him.

Bucky tilted his head, regarding her quietly for a moment, “That’s okay…we want to help you. We’ll figure this out together, okay?”

The young woman lifted her gaze to settle upon him and she swallowed hard, nodding. “Okay,” She murmured.

And really, that’s how it all started.

Over the next two weeks, she found herself being introduced to different things by each of the Avengers, as she’d learned they were called. Each of them spent time with her showing her new things. 

Bruce had introduced her to tea and yoga as a way to relax both her mind and body. She was grateful for the lessons as they did help to calm her enough to sleep soundly through most nights; despite the occasional nightmare. He was kind to her and that-that in and of itself was so foreign to her.

Clint had taken it upon himself to introduce her to the world of gaming. Teaching her how to play Mario Kart and other fun games. She thought the man was a lot of fun and getting him riled up during a race always made her smile. 

Clint had also introduced her to Netflix, something she isn’t entirely sure she ever really needed to be subjected to. Spending countless hours watching nothing but television did not seem at all productive to her in the least, but she still enjoyed most of what she watched with Clint and even the rest of the Team. 

She was never left alone, either. At night she slept in the bedroom she had been given, but there was always someone napping out on the couch in case she needed something. Not to mention Bucky, Steve and Tony shared the bedroom across the hall.

_Well_ …when Tony managed to actually sleep in a bed, that’s usually where he would end up. Otherwise she’d learned that he spent a lot of time in his workshop, a place she had yet to be permitted access to; not that she had any reason or really a desire to go there. 

They let her go down to the gym whenever she wished, supervised of course. As well as the communal floor. But she was always to be accompanied by someone. She didn’t mind the supervision, really. She liked them all well enough, but she wondered if they would ever fully trust her not to just disappear. 

Little did she know, it wasn’t that they didn’t trust her. It was more the fact that they had grown to care for her. In such a short period of time, they had grown rather fond of the young woman. She was still quiet-reserved even-around them all, but she was slowly opening up to them more and more each day.

When she had confessed to Steve that she really enjoyed his cooking, he had then taken the time to teach her how to cook and even learn to bake. And now she went out of her way to help whomever was in the kitchen no matter the time of day. 

She wanted to help these people in any way she could and she thought that cooking for the people who had taken her in so willingly, was the least she could do to thank them. Natasha and Wanda had their hand in helping her become acquainted with technology and other things. Mainly they showed her how to use a tablet and a laptop to shop online and watch funny YouTube videos of animals doing silly things or just being plain cute. 

YouTube…another thing she wasn’t sure she ever really needed to become familiar with. But it did make her smile, so she supposed it wasn’t all that bad. Spending countless hours getting lost in a sea of cute cat and dog videos, however, that was bad. 

She had trouble using the tablets that the two women owned because of her hands, however, so she only got to watch whatever they were watching at the time. She liked using the laptop and the trackpad worked alright with her hands, so she didn’t say anything.

But of course someone had noticed and just hadn’t said anything about it yet. Bucky, or _James_ , as she had taken to calling him, had been slowly introducing her to different treats. It had started with hot chocolate, which, just for the record; she had deemed to be the most delicious thing on the planet. 

That is until he introduced her to dark chocolate covered blueberries. She had taken one bite and had gone utterly speechless at the flavour. He had just smiled at her warmly and from then on, he had seemed to make it his mission to slip her pieces of candy or other little treats whenever he was around.

She had managed to even put on a healthy amount of weight since being taken in. She was pleased to find that she no longer looked sickly and gaunt and actually had some colour in her cheeks now. Everyone seemed to be going out of their way for her and she was eternally grateful for their kindness, because really, they were all being so incredibly kind to her.

The only person she had felt like she hadn’t made much of a connection with, was Tony. He was quiet most days, keeping to himself on his tablet or phone. He would wander in and out of the apartment, which had really turned into a sort of communal floor all on its own thanks to her arrival. 

He was always dressed down, casual and sometimes covered in grease or looking a little dishevelled. All she knew was that he liked to tinker with machines and that he was a genius.

He had never said anything unkind to her in any way, on the contrary; any time he was in the same room with her, he could be found smiling warmly at her whenever he caught her eye. 

He just tended to be quiet with her and didn’t talk a lot. She hadn’t said anything about it, of course. She was grateful for his company just as much as any of the others and any time it was just the two of them, they’d wind up sitting on the couch together just watching movies. Or rather, she would watch a movie and Tony would be on his tablet, tapping away.

She enjoyed his company, they didn’t have to talk at all and she’d still feel more comfortable than she’d thought possible with another person. She felt comfortable with all of the Avengers and that in and of itself was a small miracle; at least, she thought so. 

She spent a lot of time one on one with the Avengers but she also got to spend a lot of time with them as a Team. They frequently got together for all kinds of meals and movie nights, as the Team deemed them.

It was on one of these particular evenings that she found herself freshly showered after a workout at the gym and greeted by the sights and smells of the Team getting dinner sorted in the kitchen. 

She smiled softly to herself as she strode into the living room, peering into the kitchen where most of the Team was unpacking what looked to be take-out. Just as she came to lean up against the back of the couch, running her fingers through her still wet hair, Bucky came up beside her.

She looked to him and he smiled at her as he met her gaze. “They ordered Chinese food, think you’d like to try it?” He asked curiously.

The young woman nodded, “I’d like to try it, yes.”

Bucky smiled warmly at her and nodded. “Alright, _little Moon,_ ” He murmured in Russian.

The brunette’s cheeks heated and she averted her gaze. It wasn’t the first time he’d called her that and she had yet to say anything about it. He titled his head, watching her curiously. She always got this adorable look on her face whenever he called her little Moon and he couldn’t help taking a little pleasure in the slight blush he caused. 

She swallowed hard and glanced over at him once again. “ _Why do you call me_ , _little Moon_?” She asked quietly, _in Russian_.

Now it was Bucky’s turn to blush. Her Russian was perfect. “Uh…you speak Russian?” He asked nervously.

"Yes, they thought it important that I learn," She told him gently. 

"Ah," Was all he said for a moment and so she prompted him with a little tilt of her head as their gazes met. 

He cleared his throat a little. "It's just...when we first found you-you were outside and looking up at the Moon and you were just so amazed by it-your face lit up and you looked so peaceful. Your smile, the wonder I see on your face sometimes-it's like the Moon lighting up the darkness..." He told her earnestly, giving her a little shrug.

She swallowed hard, clearly not expecting such an answer. She wasn't exactly sure what to make of it all and all she could do was stare at him in surprise. He just gave her a nervous smile before he cleared his throat. "I can stop calling you that, if it bothers you-“ He told her nervously.

"No-please don't. I like it when you call me that..." She told him, her cheeks still flushed.

He smiled at her warmly and nodded, but then she averted her gaze almost shyly. "What's the matter?" He asked curiously.

“D-do you like the name Luna?" She asked timidly, and it was barely a whisper. 

Bucky smiled, bright and beautiful at her, "I really like that name, yes.” 

She huffed out a little relieved breath and smiled nervously at him, "Then I think I'd like that to be my name." 

Bucky smiled so beautifully at her and she was helpless not to smile back. "Come on then," He said gently, reaching for her hand. 

She nearly recoiled but wasn't given the chance when he slipped his metal hand in hers and tugged her from the couch towards the kitchen hurriedly. " _Hey guys-_ “ Bucky said excitedly, tugging along the trembling woman. 

The Team turned to look at them curiously and Bucky smiled brightly at them. "I want to introduce you all to someone-" He said proudly. 

The whole Team perked up a bit at this and the young woman smiled shyly at them in response. "This-" Bucky said softly, casting an appraising glance towards the young woman as he pulled her gently beside him. "Is Luna," He introduced with the brightest smile she thought she'd ever seen him wear. 

The little group was so thrilled by this little announcement and immediately were welcoming her by her new name. But all she could focus on in that moment was the fact that Bucky was still holding her hand tightly in his and smiling at her like she hung the Moon.

It wasn’t long after that until the Team was thoroughly distracted by dinner and soon after they were all tidying up and venturing into the living room to get comfortable for movie night. Tony had picked the film, apparently it was some kind of Action Adventure film about a treasure hunter who she later had learned was called _Indiana Jones_.

Everyone settled into their spots on the couches and chairs and even the floor and just as the movie was starting, Wanda glanced over at the young woman who was running her fingers through her still damp hair. She smiled, getting an idea.

“Hey, Luna?” Wanda asked gently.

Luna glanced to her, her cheeks colouring when the young woman used her new name. She smiled nervously, “Yes?”

“Think I could brush your hair for you? It looks a little damp still,” She asked gently.

Luna smiled nervously, but nodded. “That would be nice, let me go and get a brush,” She said lightly as she went to stand.

Wanda simply nodded and watched as she disappeared down the hall towards her bedroom. Bucky glanced to her curiously and she simply smiled at him. Luna was back in an instant and she went to stand in front of the young woman, but she looked unsure as to where she should sit.

“Here-“ Wanda started, moving to get comfortable.

She put a pillow down on the floor at her feet and Luna smiled nervously before she took the spot and sat down on the floor. Clint was likewise sitting on the floor a little ways away from her between Natasha’s feet and she smiled over at him nervously as she made herself comfortable.

Wanda watched as she sat down at her feet, but made no move to lean back into her space or against her. She was being careful not to touch the young woman, something Wanda had noticed she’d been doing a lot lately. From the beginning, they had all noticed that she flinched from most contact. 

Even just handing her things could set off a bad reaction and so they all tried to be respectful and careful whenever they were around her. The couldn’t even imagine what she’d been through to warrant such an aversion to touch and Wanda thought it was time to slowly introduce her to comforting touches to try and help her adjust.

“You can lean back,” Wanda told her gently as the film started.

Luna nodded and carefully leaned back. She took a couple of deep breaths as she did so and then handed the brush back to Wanda who took it from her, mindful not to touch her hands as she did so.

Luna tried to relax, she really did. But this was clearly something she was still struggling with. She was trying to pay attention to the film as Wanda started brushing out her hair, but it was proving more difficult than she thought.

Wanda always managed to calm her. But having her shoulders resting back against the couch, brushing against Wanda’s knees when she crossed her legs behind her, was proving to be a difficult task. 

After a while, Wanda had managed to get the tangles out and she set the brush aside. But instead of sitting back and letting go of her hair, Wanda started to run her fingers through her long locks. Her hair was almost completely dry now and Luna started to tremble when she felt the woman’s hands start slipping through her strands.

She inhaled deeply and tried to relax, but her shoulders were up around her ears, clearly uncomfortable. Wanda simply smiled to herself and projected her thoughts through to the young woman.

_I won’t hurt you, Luna. Just relax, I promise-I’m just going to braid your hair. Would you like that?_ Wanda asked her inwardly.

Luna simply nodded in response, taking a shaky breath. Unbeknownst to her, pretty well everyone was paying attention to what Wanda was doing. Wanda simply smiled and started separating her hair into sections, careful not to tug too hard.

Luna slowly started to relax as the young woman began braiding her hair. She blinked hard as she tried to focus on the movie, but not really able to follow along. Wanda finished about ten minutes later, having done an intricate fish-tail braid. She let it drape over the brunette’s right shoulder and held it out to show her. 

“How do you like it?” Wanda whispered, not wanting to disrupt the film, even though she was aware that no one would have minded.

Luna looked at the long braid as it draped over her shoulder and hung down over her chest. She gave her a timid smile. “It’s lovely, Wanda. Thank you,” She murmured.

Wanda just smiled and nodded before she sat back a little and slowly let her hands come to rest against Luna’s shoulders. Luna tensed up immediately and she inhaled sharply and held her breath. But Wanda simply held her, soothing her with the weight of her hands over her sweatshirt. 

_You’re really tense. Can I just massage your shoulders a little? It’ll feel nice, I promise. My brother-he used to do this for me sometimes, it was comforting._ She told her inwardly.

Luna nodded jerkily as she turned her head back to the television and shut her eyes tightly. She was trying to breathe normally but it was coming out shaky and she thought she was going to cry. 

Wanda wasn’t hurting her at all, it was just overwhelming-the thought that her hands _might_ be there to cause her harm; even though she was sure the young woman would never do such a thing.

Wanda simply started to massage her shoulders over the thick sweatshirt she wore, working out the knots as slowly and carefully as she could. After several minutes of this, Luna finally seemed to start to relax; shifting a bit in her spot as she made herself more comfortable. 

Wanda dared a glance to her left to see that Bucky was looking at them openly, movie completely dismissed as he watched the pair. The look on his face as he met Wanda's gaze was pure adoration for this woman and her complete understanding of what Luna truly needed in that moment. 

He swallowed past the lump in his throat and nodded towards her and Wanda simply smiled as she turned her attention back towards the woman in her grasp. They stayed like that for the rest of the movie and by the end of the film, Luna was more relaxed than any of them had ever seen her before.

She looked content as she rose from her spot from the floor and whispered her good nights to the Team. When she met Wanda's gaze and gave her a timid smile, Wanda simply smiled back and wished her a good night. 

No one said anything else about it, little did they know that movie nights, hair braiding and massages were going to turn into a pretty regular occurrence for them. 

 

A couple of days later, Luna was busy tidying up the kitchen with Steve and Natasha after they had made lunch together when Tony strolled in looking rather uncomfortable. He was carrying a thin box under his arm as he came over to the kitchen island to see what they were up to. 

Leaning as casually as he could against the counter, he cleared his throat. ”Uh, hey. How was lunch?" He asked lightly. 

Steve smiled at his lover over his shoulder as he wiped his hands on a tea-towel, "It was great, Tony. You hungry? We've got leftovers.”

Tony shook his head, clearing his throat again as he looked towards Luna who was putting away a Tupperware container in the fridge. "No, no-I'm good. Thanks," He said quickly, his attention clearly elsewhere. 

Steve regarded him curiously and Natasha even glanced over at the genius. He sounded off to them both. Luna came over and gave Tony a little smile in greeting, to which he stuttered out a hello. Now Steve and Natasha were wondering what was up with him because neither had heard the man stutter like that for as long as they could remember.

Tony was rubbing the back of his neck and looking very uncomfortable as he looked to the young woman. "Uh, Luna? You got a minute? Just wanted to talk to you about something," Tony said gently. 

And wow, he sounded _nervous_. Steve's eyebrows were up in his hairline and Natasha was fairing no better. Both hadn't heard Tony stutter let alone look nervous like this since he had tried to ' _woo the Capsicle_ ' as it had been later coined. 

Luna smiled at him gently, "Of course, Tony." 

Tony nodded jerkily and invited her into the living room. He was glancing awkwardly at Steve and Natasha before he was quickly ducking out of the kitchen with the young woman in front of him. 

Luna tucked her hands into the front pocket of her hoodie as she came to stand by the couch and Tony motioned towards it. "Why don't we sit down?" He suggested as casually as he could manage.

Luna gave him a little smile and nodded before she moved to take a seat. Tony cleared his throat a bit and sent up a silent prayer that this was going to go well before he too took a seat on the sofa, making sure to keep a bit of space between them. 

He set the little box in his lap and gave her a nervous smile and she regarded him quietly for a moment. "Is everything okay, Tony? You seem a little nervous," She said gently. 

Tony nodded, shifting in his seat a bit as he huffed out a laugh. "Uh-yes-yeah. Everything's fine-I just-I wanted to give you something," He told her haltingly.

Her brows knit together in confusion as she watched him curiously. "You wanted to give me something?" She asked in disbelief. 

Tony nodded, fiddling with the box in his lap. “Uh, yeah…I noticed that when you're using the girls' tablets, the touch screens don't respond to your fingers. So I made you a special one that'll respond to your touch. Bucky actually has the same problem and I built him one like this too-I just-I thought it'd be nice if you had your own," He told her in a rush as he held out the box for her to take. 

She held his gaze, looking completely bewildered as she carefully took the box from him. She didn't know what to say. She was at a loss as to what to do, so she quietly looked down at the box in her hands, but made no move to open it.

“You can open it,” Tony told her with a nervous smile.

She swallowed around the lump in her throat as she took the lid off the box. She stared down at the tablet inside for a long moment before she lifted it out gently and set the box aside. Tony was smiling nervously at her as he watched her examine it. 

“I-I can show you how it works-I mean-I know you've seen the girls use theirs, but I thought maybe I could help you-if you needed it-mind you-" He started to ramble, shifting uncomfortably in his seat; but he was interrupted by Luna’s whisper.

“Tony-" She whispered as she gave him a timid little smile as she met his gaze. "Thank you," She murmured. 

Tony's lips quirked a little more as he tried to fight the urge to smile stupidly at her. "You're welcome," He whispered back instead.

Luna glanced back down at the tablet in her hands before holding it out to him. "Could you show me how it works?" She asked timidly.

_Now_ Tony couldn't help smiling brightly at the young woman. "Of course I can,” He told her excitedly and before long Luna was shifting closer to the genius and he was showing her how it worked. 

He chatted animatedly with her about how he'd managed to get the touch screen to respond to both her metal and Bucky's and even though it pretty well went over her head, she was a real sport and listened to it all with a beautiful smile and a fond expression on her face. 

It wasn't long before they were watching silly animal videos together on the tablet and unbeknownst to them, both Steve and Natasha had watched the entire exchange from the safety of the kitchen with huge grins on their faces. 

While Tony and Luna were distracted with the tablet in the living room, Bucky managed to make his way through the apartment and slip into the kitchen from the bedroom. He eyed the pair on the couch together talking and playing with the little device and he couldn’t help smiling warmly.

He sidled up to Steve who was making tea at the counter and hip-checked him lightly. “I see Tony finally managed to give her the damn thing,” He said with a chuckle.

Steve glanced to him and Natasha perked up a bit from her spot at the table. “What do you mean?” Steve asked curiously, turning to look at his lover.

Bucky gave him a smirk. “He’s been sittin’ on the tablet for a few days. Said he didn’t know how to go about giving it to her. I told him he was being an idiot about the whole thing and to just give it to her already and maybe even suggest he help teach her how to use it,” He told him with a little chuckle.

Natasha smirked over at the two before casting a glance towards the living room when Tony let out a laugh of his own. The three in the kitchen glanced towards the living room to see Tony laughing lightly as he rambled on about something or other, gesturing widely with his hands as Luna held the tablet in her lap, watching him with a lovely little smile on her face.

Bucky and Steve smiled warmly at the two and cast a quick glance at Natasha as she turned her attention back to them. “Well, I’m glad he finally did give it to her. She seems to be happy with it,” Steve told him with a smile. 

Not five minutes later they could hear Tony exclaiming in mock anger from the living room. “What do you mean you don’t know what a _llama_ is!? You know-an _alpaca?_ ” He said in exasperation.

Luna shook her head, her brows furrowed in confusion. Tony guffawed at her and took the tablet, quickly typing in something in the YouTube window. Before long they were watching silly llama videos and Tony was grinning widely when he saw the expression on her face after the first thirty seconds in. 

Luna was looking at the screen with a look of awe, horror and just plain confusion on her face; but then-then she was _laughing_. Tony’s eyes widened, his lips parting in clear surprise as her laughter filled the space between them. 

She just couldn’t help herself. At first it was just sort of a funny feeling bubbling up inside her, but then she chuckled and before long she was full on laughing; covering her mouth as the sounds started escaping her.

Tony just looked at her in complete awe. He’d never heard her laugh before and it was just so utterly beautiful. He couldn’t help himself; he started laughing too. Their laughter was loud enough to reach the quiet of the kitchen and immediately, Bucky, Steve and Natasha were turning to look at them.

Bucky’s eyes were wide, as were Steve’s and even Natasha looked incredibly surprised. None of them had seen or heard Luna laugh since coming to the Tower; even getting her to smilegenuinely had taken time. But in that moment, she looked so happy; her melodic laughter filling the apartment along with Tony’s.

Bucky got up from his spot and walked towards them, dying to know what made her laugh like that so that he could be sure to show it to her every damn day. He came towards them and stopped just shy of the couch, watching her with wide eyes and a huge smile.

They were still laughing when Luna caught sight of him and she looked to him, her laughter dying down a little. She looked so embarrassed as she brandished the tablet in her hand towards him.

“T-Tony was showing me what a llama looks like on the tablet he made me-“ She said between huffs of laughter. 

“I-they’re just so _odd_ -“ She told him with a shake of her head, still chuckling lightly. “And the _noises_ they make-“ She laughed a little harder at this, her cheeks completely flushed as she stood up to show him the video that was still playing on the screen. 

Bucky grinned broadly at her and nodded, taking the tablet from her as she held it out to him. “They are pretty funny,” He agreed with a smile, glancing towards Tony who was watching them with a huge smile of his own plastered across his face.

Luna chuckled and nodded. “Isn’t the tablet great? I can’t believe Tony made that for me-hey, do you want to watch some more silly llama videos with us?” She asked excitedly.

Bucky smiled fondly at her as he nodded. She sounded so young and so happy and the fact that she was excited at all spread warmth through his chest. He swallowed hard and nodded, handing her back the tablet.

“Yeah, Luna. I’d love to,” He told her earnestly, casting Tony a warm smile.

Tony simply smirked back; he looked far too pleased with himself. The last thing he needed was for Tony’s ego to go and get any bigger. Bucky resisted the urge to roll his eyes as their gazes met and soon he was sitting between Tony and Luna on the couch as they watched llama video after llama video-and then they stumbled on _goat_ videos-of all things. 

A little over an hour later and the rest of the Team had joined them and they were all cackling uproariously together as they watched video after video of funny animal noises. Luna had laughed so hard at one point that she was wiping her eyes as tears escaped her. 

She thought that this was the best day of her life. The fact that she had lost herself in laughter, in friendship and people who clearly cared about her. After they had all finally agreed to put the tablet away for fear of hurting themselves from laughing too hard sometime later, Luna found herself sitting quietly at the kitchen island watching Steve make her a cup of tea.

She smiled gently up at him when he set it down in front of her and he simply smiled back as she thanked him for the tea. She had become very quiet when everyone had sort of dispersed to do their own thing and though Steve had stayed in the apartment, she couldn’t help feeling a little lonely. 

“You okay?” Steve asked her gently.

Luna nodded, “Yeah…I just-everyone’s been real nice to me. Today was-“ She started but had to stop as she swallowed down the lump that started to lodge itself in her throat.

Steve smiled warmly at her and simply nodded, “I know, just a bit overwhelming, right?”

She nodded, taking a deep breath as she glanced towards her new tablet sitting next to her. “Tony was really nice to make that for me,” She whispered.

Steve smiled at her, “He wanted you to have something of your own.” 

She nodded and gave him a little smile before she was sipping at her tea. Steve watched her quietly for a beat before he cleared his throat, “Hey-I was thinkin’ of making something new tonight for dessert. Think I could get your help?”

Luna beamed at him and nodded eagerly. Steve chuckled softly and motioned towards her tablet. “There’s this video I watched yesterday on how to make Tiramisu. It’s an Italian cake; think you’d like to watch it with me again and help me make it?” He asked curiously.

Luna looked at him in surprise, “You can watch them make it in a _video?_ ”

Steve grinned at her. “You can watch people make all kinds of food online-one of the many wonders of the internet,” He told her with a chuckle.

She smiled brightly at him and nodded, grabbing her tablet and thrusting it into his hands. “Show me?” She asked excitedly.

Steve smiled beautifully at her and nodded. “Of course, Luna,” He said gently, taking the tablet from her carefully.

He and Luna spent the better part of the afternoon baking together and Steve showed her how easy it was to find video recipes as well as written recipes online for just about any kind of meal or dessert. She was thrilled to find out how to make a tiramisu when she learned that it was one of Tony’s favourite desserts.

Hence, why Steve really wanted to try it out. Luna had then taken it upon herself to make a mental note as to what kinds of treats the rest of the Team enjoyed best. She had an idea.

 

And so the weeks passed by easily for the Team, everyone helping the young woman learn more about herself and become more comfortable at the Tower. Hair brushing and massages became a more regular occurrence during movie nights, much to Luna’s delight.

She had a tendency to dress in layers and bulky clothes to hide herself since coming home with them and no one said anything about it. But Bucky understood and had even gone out of his way to pick her up a few hoodies that he thought she might like. He had done much the same thing when he had first come to the Tower; always covering up so that he didn’t draw too much attention to himself.

He knew she’d come around soon enough. 

That’s why when one evening after dinner, when Luna came back from her bedroom with her hairbrush in hand and wearing only a thin long-sleeved thermal shirt and her baggy sweatpants; no one said a word. Their proud smiles said enough.

This time when Wanda had the young woman at her feet and had finished braiding her hair, she made sure to let her warm gentle hands settle against the woman’s shoulders so that she could feel her warmth through the light shirt. 

Luna had trembled the entire time, something she hadn’t done since the first few times Wanda had given her a massage; but it was progress. When Wanda had let her fingertips lightly trail against the bared part of the back of her neck, she was so proud of the young woman for not drawing away. She still flinched a little, but she soon settled and relaxed and allowed Wanda to continue to massage her shoulders.

Wanda would call that a win for sure.

It got better from there. Luna had started wearing less layers, less baggy clothes in general, actually. She still wore sweatpants, but they weren’t as big now; she was also wearing lighter shirts, although they were all still long sleeved.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out she was self conscious about her hands. She had them shoved in her pockets whenever she could when she was around the Team and was very careful whenever she was handed things. She never touched anyone, in fact; she did just about everything in her power to avoid touching them.

No one understood why exactly, well; except for Bucky. But it wasn’t his place to say anything about it. So instead he tried to show her that it was okay to touch and that her friends would never show anything other than support for her doing so. The way he did this?

He would make sure to use the metal arm when he slung his arm loosely around Steve’s shoulders or anytime he was handed things and Luna happened to be around. He’d just gently brush his fingers against whomever had handed him something. No one ever flinched, no one ever batted an eye; no one minded in the least. 

Luna noticed. She was always watching, paying close attention to how everyone interacted with one another. She could only hope that someday she would be as comfortable around these people as they clearly felt around each other.

It was during one of these times where Bucky used his metal hand-and really, it was sort of just habit now as he had stopped thinking about it consciously a while ago-where Luna happened to be in the room and caught sight of him.

Bucky was walking through the living room when Tony happened to stroll in bobbing his head along to something or other. He had a pair of headphones on and he seemed to be humming to himself as he stared down at his tablet, completely oblivious to anyone else who might be in the room. 

Luna was sitting on one of the lazy-boy’s in the living room when she caught sight of him and clearly so had Bucky. Bucky stopped in his tracks and smiled fondly at the genius as he strode past him, clearly having not even realized he was there. But just as he was passing him by, Bucky reached out with his flesh and blood arm and caught the genius around the waist.

He pulled a clearly surprised Tony close to him and smiling stupidly, he cupped his metal hand against the side of the genius’ neck and kissed him soundly. Luna had watched from her seat, her eyes wide and lips parted in awe as they shared a kiss.

Tony had practically melted against his lover and Luna had been helplessly staring at the two, watching as Bucky caressed the genius’ neck carefully with his bionic hand. She swallowed hard when Tony broke the kiss and laughed wonderfully, his cheeks a little flushed and smile as big and beautiful as ever. Bucky had simply stared down at him, his thumb still stroking lazily against the man’s pulse-point.

And Luna- _poor Luna-_ had nearly _cried_. Such an open display of affection between the two she had found to be so beautiful and the way Bucky seemed to be so lost in his lover with that powerful bionic weapon- _no._ She thought. _It’s not a weapon anymore. He’s in control of himself, it’s a hand, an instrument to which he alone controls._ She told herself sternly.

She knew he would never harm his lover or any of his friends for that matter. He trusted himself around them. She trusted them- _trusted him_ -but she wasn’t sure if she could ever trust herself. She glanced down at her own metal limbs, watching as the plates shifted and realigned, the whirring loud in the quiet of the living room.

She tensed, afraid that she’d been heard, but when she looked up; Tony was walking towards the kitchen and Bucky was nowhere to be found. She looked down at her hands once again as they cradled the tablet Tony had given her and she tried to clear the tears that wanted to fall. 

She swallowed hard and glanced up when she heard Tony coming towards her, tablet and a cup of what was most likely coffee in his hands. He was still wearing those funny shaped things on his head, something she’d seen him wearing on a few different occasions. 

She wasn’t exactly sure what they did and she hadn’t had a chance to ask yet, so she simply smiled as casually as she could as he came over and took a seat on the sofa. He had abandoned his tablet on the coffee table in favour of cradling his steaming cup of coffee with both hands instead.

He was smiling at her warmly as he took a sip before he pulled his headphones off and let them rest around his neck. “Morning, Luna. How’d you sleep?” He asked lightly.

Luna gave him a gentle smile, “Good morning, Tony. I slept okay, thank you. I hope you slept alright too.” 

Tony nodded. “I did actually. Managed to actually sleep in a bed too, if you can believe it,” He said with a little chuckle.

She smiled a little brighter. She’d learned over the last couple of months that Tony was a very hard worker and spent much of his time designing incredible things for the Team and the world at large and rarely managed to get any decent sleep in the process. “That’s great, Tony,” She said gently.

Tony shrugged and smirked a little. “Ah well-what are you going to get up to today, do ya’ think?” He asked casually as he took another sip of his coffee.

Luna bit her lower lip and raised the tablet to show him a new baking video she’d found. He laughed and shook his head fondly. “You really like cooking and stuff, don’t you?” He asked curiously.

She nodded, settling the tablet back down across her thighs. “There are some baking recipes I’ve got saved that I’d like to try soon. I’ve been making a list of ingredients I’ll need first so that I can have Jarvis order it all for me. I-I hope that’s okay?” She said, suddenly nervous that maybe she shouldn’t be doing this.

Tony beamed at her and nodded. “Of course that’s okay. Just let him know when you’re ready with that list. It won’t take long for someone to pick it all up for you,” He told her with a smile.

She simply nodded, her gaze flickering down towards the headphones around his neck; she could hear sound coming from them and she wondered what it was. Tony seemed to notice her gaze had shifted and he glanced down at himself curiously. 

“What are those?” She asked softly, motioning towards the headphones.

Tony chuckled and set his coffee down as he started to pull them from around his neck, turning off his music in the process. “These? They’re headphones-they sync wirelessly with my tablet or phone and I can listen to music and videos and stuff with them, instead of bothering everyone else with the noise. It’s like my own private concert,” He told her with a little laugh.

She smiled nervously at him. “Music?” She asked timidly, her brows pinched up in a question.

“You know-like songs, people singing-“ He stopped when her face took on a sort of blank look and her brow furrowed just so.

His face fell. “You’ve never listened to music before?” He asked in disbelief…and _oh_ -he looked like a kicked puppy.

Luna frowned a little, averting her gaze. She wasn’t sure if she had. But just as she was about to speak, Tony was getting up and bringing his headphones along with him. He knelt down at the woman’s feet and gestured towards the tablet in her hands as he held out the headphones to her.

“Put these on,” He said gently as she handed him her tablet.

She did as she was told, putting them on over her ears as she had seen him do so. She couldn’t hear any sound yet and so she just sat quietly, listening and watching him fiddle on the tablet for a moment. 

He asked Jarvis to download a bunch of music onto her tablet for her and soon the headphones were making a little beeping noise as they connected with her tablet.

“There-okay, I’m going to keep the volume down low for now; but here, here’s a good one-“ He said excitedly as he hit play. 

Luna nearly jumped as the music started up and she blushed deeply when she saw Tony watching her with a huge grin on his face. She smiled nervously at the genius as the first notes of the song started up. Half way through she was smiling brightly and holding the headphones against her ears a little more, pleased with the sound.

Tony had turned up the volume much louder now and she was laughing, her nose scrunched up adorably as she listened to the song. Her laughter had prompted Bucky to stick his head out of the bedroom curiously and when he came and found the pair together in the living room like that, he couldn’t help grinning stupidly at them.

“What is she listening to?” He asked curiously as he came and sat down on the sofa across from them.

Tony grinned, “ACDC’s _Thunderstruck_.”

Bucky grinned back and rolled his eyes. “That’s not real music, Tony,” He teased.

Tony laughed and shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. They’re legends, James- _legends_ ,” He said in indignation.

Bucky laughed and met Luna’s gaze as she started removing the headphones and gave him a timid smile. “These are amazing,” She said in awe, looking over to Tony now.

Tony beamed at her, “You keep that pair, I’ll show you how to charge them later. But for now, I think we need to get you started on a music library of your own.”

She smiled but before she could ask what that was, Bucky was chiming in. “I’d better go get Steve-he’s not going to be happy that you’re corrupting her with all your rock music,” He grumbled.

Tony just laughed and shook his head. “Alright, _fine_ -tell grandpa I’ll make sure to put some Frank and some of your favourite artists on there for her too,” He said with a huff.

Bucky smirked. “Make sure she gets to hear some Airborne Toxic Event, please,” He said with a wave as he headed towards the kitchen to fix himself a cup of coffee.

Luna just smiled nervously as she looked back to Tony who had started talking to Jarvis about setting up a music account for her and making sure she had all kinds of different genres to listen to. 

When the rest of the Team had filtered in around lunch time, they all made sure to give their own suggestions to her about what they thought she should listen to. She had simply smiled and nodded along and spent most of the day in happy silence-well, sort of. 

The Team was yammering on around her while they chose song after song for her to listen to. And she just sat there with the headphones sitting comfortably over her ears and a little smile on her face the entire time. She really liked their music choices.

 

Not a week later, Luna had awoken with a terrible start. She was breathing raggedly into her dimly lit bedroom as she sat bolt upright in bed. The lights immediately came on fully and she struggled to calm herself down.

“T-thanks, Jarvis,” She breathed shakily.

The AI didn't reply, but she knew he had heard her. Jarvis had come to watch over her quite often when she would have her nightmares. He would only dim the lights when he was sure she had slipped into sleep and even then, they still remained on. As soon as she was awoken by a nightmare or just naturally though, he would have the lights coming on properly for her. 

Something she had greatly appreciated. She rubbed her eyes a little before she climbed out of bed. She stumbled into the bathroom on shaky legs and she washed her face hastily. She stopped for a moment, braced over the sink as she looked at herself in the mirror. 

She hadn’t pulled on any clothes and wore nothing but the tank top she had worn to bed and her underwear. She swallowed hard, her gaze shifting down the length of her body. Her hair was still in the braid Wanda had given her from the night before and she calmly wet her hands and smoothed down some of the flyaways.

She took a few calming breaths before she forced herself to brush her teeth and when she returned to her bedroom and took one look at her bed, she decided it just wasn’t going to happen. With a little huff, she pulled on a long sleeved shirt and a pair of navy blue sweatpants before she made her way out into the living room. 

It was just on 5:30am and she knew that no one would be up for a little while yet, so she made her way towards the balcony in hopes of maybe enjoying the Sunrise. Jarvis unlocked the door for her as she approached the glass doors and she slipped outside quietly. 

On most nights when she couldn’t sleep or was disturbed by a nightmare, she would find herself trying to calm down on the quiet balcony. Even though it was still too early for much natural light to be had, Jarvis had kindly turned on some of the balcony lights so that she wouldn’t be left in the darkness.

She trembled as she sat down in one of the chairs, drawing her knees up to her chest. She took a few shaky breaths as she wrapped her arms about herself and looked out across the busy city. She thought about what she had dreamt about, wondering if the nightmares of what they did to her would ever cease.

She closed her eyes for a beat, just trying to steady her breathing like Bruce had taught her. She wished she had made some tea, but decided it could wait until later; she didn’t want to wake anyone up by being too noisy in the kitchen.

She stayed like that for a while, just watching the sky start to lighten as the Sun began to come up. It was cool out this morning, but it being the middle of Summer, she knew it would warm up soon enough. She revelled in the coolness of the morning air and simply stayed like that for a while. 

Before long she had managed to watch the beautiful Sunrise in the quiet of the morning. She could still hear the street noise far down below and the hum of planes as they flew overhead, but it was all white noise to her whenever she watched the Sun come up.

She thought it was one of the most beautiful things she’d ever been privy to see and in those moments she felt positively at peace with everything that had ever happened to her. In some ways, she felt like what she had gone through was so inconsequential to the goings on of the world around her; the Universe as it awoke and went to sleep each and every night. She felt small in a way that comforted her in the most unusual sense. 

The time she spent out there just admiring the world-the Sun, the Moon and the Stars…it just made her feel small and insignificant. She didn’t really understand why it comforted her; she supposed it had something to do with the way she always wanted to go unnoticed, just blending in-being normal, perhaps?

It was with these thoughts and the warmth of the early morning sunshine upon her that she slipped into a peaceful sleep, curled up on the oversized patio chair. 

A little over an hour later, Steve had been striding past the balcony doors chatting with Bucky and Tony quietly about something or other, when he caught sight of Luna sleeping comfortably outside. He stopped, frozen in place, words dying on his lips as he took in her sleeping form.

Tony perked up, wondering what had prompted him to stop talking so suddenly and even Bucky stopped walking and regarded him curiously. They followed the blonde’s gaze and were both as equally surprised to see her outside. 

“Jarvis?” Steve asked curiously.

“Good morning, Captain Rogers,” The AI responded.

“Uh, yeah-morning. H-how long has Luna been on the balcony?” He asked curiously.

“Ah-“ The AI started. “Miss Luna awoke around 5am and ventured out to watch the Sunrise; she has been asleep for just over an hour.”

Steve nodded, glancing towards Bucky who had gone to retrieve a blanket. “I don’t want to wake her, but she might be better off wrapped up in a blanket; don’t want her to catch a cold,” Bucky murmured, moving to slip outside. 

Both Steve and Tony remained quiet as they watched him approach the young woman and carefully drape the blanket over her. He smiled gently down at her once he was sure she wouldn’t catch cold. It wasn’t exactly cold out, but it wasn’t really warm either. It was the middle of June, but the mornings still tended to be cooler, especially from this height with the wind.

He ducked back inside, making sure to close the door behind him fully. Tony was smiling fondly at him, “You know she can’t actually catch a cold, right?”

Bucky’s cheeks heated at that. He’d completely forgotten; she was a super-soldier, of course she couldn’t catch a cold. He huffed nervously and shrugged. “Yeah-well-“ He started in only mild irritation.

Steve just gave him one of his dopey smiles and Bucky rolled his eyes. “Come on-I want to go to the gym, you comin’, Stevie?” He asked with a huff.

Steve smiled, “Yeah, Buck. I’m comin’.”

Tony chuckled softly and glanced towards Luna on the balcony. “I think I’ll go get ready for my meeting and then come check on her. You guys’ll be a bit, I take it?” Tony asked.

Steve and Bucky nodded. “Yeah, think we’re going to go for a run after our workout then maybe hit the pool for a bit too,” Bucky told him.

“See you for dinner?” Steve asked Tony hopefully.

Tony just smiled and leaned up to kiss the blonde. “Yeah, Cap. I’ll be back for dinner,” Tony murmured as Steve returned the kiss chastely.

Bucky smiled as he watched his lovers before he leaned in and gave the genius a kiss of his own. Tony returned it eagerly and forced himself to pull away rather reluctantly. Bucky huffed out a little chuckle as Tony gave him a dirty look, clearly wanting the kiss to continue, but knowing he had to get a move on. 

They said their good byes and soon Tony was up on his own floor and getting showered and dressed for the day ahead. He moseyed back down to their shared floor afterwards and slipped into the kitchen to make some coffee for himself before he went to check on Luna. 

It was just after 8:30am and his meeting wasn’t scheduled until 11am, so he figured he had time to grab a bite to eat and a much needed cup of coffee. He yawned as he put on the coffee maker and busied himself trying to figure out what he was going to make for breakfast. 

He glanced at the waffle maker with a sort of lost puppy dog look on his face and pouted adorably, wishing Steve was around to make him waffles this morning. He huffed out a sigh and as he turned around to check if the coffee maker was done yet, he was surprised to find Luna standing not three feet away from him.

She was regarding him with an adorable little sleepy smile as she held the blanket Bucky had given her tight around her shoulders. “H-hey,” Tony greeted with a little smile.

Luna gave him a timid smile, reaching up to rub the sleep out of her eyes as she looked him over. “Morning, Tony,” She murmured, her gaze still shifting to take him all in.

He wasn’t sure why she was looking at him like that, but then she was blinking away the sleepiness from her eyes and averting her gaze. She pulled the blanket from around her shoulders and Tony watched as she shook it out and folded it before setting it on the edge of a stool. “I uh-don’t suppose you know how to use the waffle maker?” He asked with a little chuckle.

Luna smiled at him, slow and sweet and Tony’s heart felt like it skipped a beat. He absentmindedly reached up to rub his knuckles over the Arc Reactor and felt the faint thrumming beneath his shirt and relaxed some. 

“Steve actually taught me how to make waffles last week. Would you like me to make some for you?” She asked lightly, making her way towards the appliance.

Tony beamed at her. “Only if you’ll teach me how to use the damn thing-I love waffles, just don’t know how he manages to make them so perfect all the time,” He said with a little grin.

Luna smiled warmly at him and nodded. “I can show you how to make them-though I doubt they’ll be as good as Steve’s,” She said softly.

Tony smirked, “He’s always been a bit of a perfectionist.”

Luna laughed lightly and Tony’s smile widened. He’d been hearing her laugh a lot more lately and he was sure he’d never get tired of the gorgeous sound. The coffee maker dinged and soon Tony was pouring them a couple cups while Luna busied herself getting the batter for the waffles prepared.

She walked him through how to make the batter and then when it came time to use the actual waffle iron, Tony was laughing and joking around and really just making a mess of things. But Luna didn’t care. She’d simply laughed along with him and made a bit of a mess too.

“ _Okay-_ “ Tony started as he shovelled yet another bite of waffle, strawberry and syrup into his mouth; chewing quickly. “These are definitely not Steve’s perfect waffles- _but-_ “ He continued with a stifled grin as he saw the little pout Luna was giving him.

“These are _definitely_ the best messy strawberry waffles I’ve ever eaten and I’d gladly take them over Steve’s waffles _any day_ -just don’t tell him that,” He said with a cheeky grin as he swallowed down the rest of his bite of waffle.

Luna smiled, bright and beautiful at him and soon her nose was scrunching up as she couldn’t hold in her light laughter. Tony grinned at her before he dove back in for another bite. But as they continued to sit and enjoy their breakfast in the quietness of the apartment, Luna kept casting him curious glances. 

Tony couldn’t figure out why and he cocked his head curiously at her. “You’re staring-do I have syrup on my face or something?” He asked curiously.

Luna blushed, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink as she stood up, reaching out to pick up his now empty plate. “No, Tony. I’m sorry-I didn’t mean to…it’s just-“ She said quietly, ducking her head as she collected the rest of the dishes on the table.

“Just what?” Tony prompted, his brow furrowed as he watched her intently.

Luna placed their dishes in the dishwasher before turning back to look at him properly. “I’ve never seen you wear something like that before. You look- _different_ ,” She settled on, giving him a bit of a one shouldered shrug.

Tony looked down at himself nervously as he rose from his seat. Yeah okay, he was all dressed up today, but that was only because he had a meeting later. He was wearing one of his favourite suits; a light grey Armani with a simple white dress shirt and a bright red and gold tie for a spot of colour. He quickly realized that he’d never been around her in a suit or any real formal wear before and he wondered what she made of it.

“Uh, different good or different bad?” He asked with a bit of a smirk as he met her gaze once again. 

Luna laughed, giving him an adorably sweet smile. “Different, good,” She told him gently.

Tony huffed out a relieved breath. “Well, I’ve got a meeting shortly. Thought I’d put on something a little more presentable,” He said, smoothing out his shirt a little and doing up his suit jacket button before taking a seat once again.

Luna smiled and nodded, giving him one last lingering look before she pulled apart the waffle iron so that she could wash the plates. "Well, you look nice," She told him as she set to work washing out the waffle plates. 

Tony lifted his cup of coffee to his lips and couldn't help it when he grinned stupidly behind it. She failed to notice, however. Tony fished out his phone then and scrolled through a few emails from Pepper and the like as Luna spent a couple minutes cleaning the waffle plates up. She shifted, rinsing off her hands as she watched the water drain from the sink. She frowned a little once the sink had drained, her eyes shifting to take in the state of her hands.

The batter from the waffle mix had managed to get into the crevices of the metal plates that made up her hands and she shifted uncomfortably as she started the water up again. She grabbed a cloth and started to lather the dish soap in it and before long she was scrubbing away roughly at the metal plates of her hands in an attempt to clear the batter from them. 

She was getting agitated, frustrated that she couldn't get the batter out well enough and she closed her eyes as she took a deep calming breath before she got too worked up over such a silly thing.

What she hadn't counted on, however, was that when she opened her eyes and looked down to her hands-what she saw; it wasn't what she had expected. She cried out in absolute horror as red flashed before her eyes. Her hands stained and positively dripping with blood. 

Tears rushed to the forefront of her vision as she continued to cry out, but then she was struggling to breathe at all as she stared down at her hands in pure terror. “Hey- _hey-_ " Tony was calling out to her suddenly, having immediately rushed to her side in the woman’s panic.

She felt a hand at her elbow and all at once she was yanked out of whatever she had seen. She was nearly hyperventilating as Tony put himself between her and the sink and she struggled terribly to find her breath. 

Tony was holding her hands tightly in both of his, cradling them close to his chest as he spoke to her. " _Luna_ -hey, come on-you're okay; breathe with me sweetheart. Come on, Luna. _Breathe in-breathe out-breathe in_ - _breathe out-_ there we go-" He said, taking deep breaths of his own in an attempt to get her to follow his lead.

Luna was staring at him with wide eyes, her chest heaving with her frantic breaths. She tried to do as he said and take deep slow breaths, but they were still shaky and stuttering and she still looked incredibly stricken.

Tony was still talking to her, trying to coax her back down. She looked white as a ghost and when she had managed to calm her breathing enough, he gently pulled her over to sit at one of the kitchen stools.

"There you go, you're alright," Tony murmured soothingly, still holding her hands in his as he watched her worriedly. 

She was still shaking terribly and she still looked so stricken. He didn't know what to say to her, so he simply rubbed the backs of her knuckles carefully with his thumbs in an attempt to soothe. He didn't know how much she could feel or if she was sensitive to temperature at all, so he tried to keep his touch gentle but firm all the same.

"That's good," Tony said. "Keep taking those breaths," He said gently, still meeting her gaze whenever she managed to focus enough on him.

Luna nodded, still staring into his face as she tried to focus on him. "Flashback?" He asked her softly.

Luna nodded once again, trembling even harder as she tried to calm her breathing a little more. Tony let out a huff, "Yeah, I got you." 

She swallowed hard and took a deep shaky breath as she cast a wary glance down at her hands. She knew Tony had been holding them, she could feel it. Not much, just the constant pressure changes as he massaged them. She was more afraid about seeing the blood still there than the fact he was touching her at the moment; which yeah, she would think about later.

He noticed her gaze had shifted and he calmly looked down at her hands as well. His brows pinched up as he lowered them from his chest and turned them, trying to get a better look. 

No one had really gotten to see them up close, let alone touch them and now that he was looking; he just couldn’t bring himself to stop. The craftsmanship was definitely similar to Bucky’s, but everything looked so much finer; he wondered what the mechanics were like and if they resembled Bucky’s at all. But currently, he was more interested in the _state_ of them.

“ _Luna-_ “ He said worriedly after a beat. “You’ve not been taking care of your hands,” He said softly, and he sounded so sad.

Luna’s face contorted and she tried to pull her hands away from his grasp. Tony clucked disapprovingly at her, but allowed her to remove her hands from his. “You’ve got a lot of buildup between the plates. What have you been using to clean them?” He asked her gently.

Luna grimaced, “J-just soap and water.” 

Tony clucked his tongue again and she frowned deeply, blinking back the tears that were still trying to get free. “We have special solvent we keep under the sinks for you and James-he gets this problem too if he doesn’t take care of them,” Tony told her, a frown still marring his features.

When she did nothing but blink at him in what looked like a mix of confusion and fear, he sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Luna. I thought you knew about the cleaner. I’m so sorry, sweetheart-here,” He said, moving to go towards the sink.

He rifled around under the cabinet and pulled out a little bottle with a special cleaning cloth. He brought them back over towards her and sat down on the stool opposite her, giving her a truly apologetic look. 

She just stared at him as her breathing slowly calmed and she managed to get the urge to cry under control. He made no move towards her for a time, they simply sat looking at one another while she tried to calm down a bit more. Tony had set the bottle of solvent on the kitchen island beside them after he wet the cloth with it and was simply holding the cloth in his hands as he waited.

When he thought she had calmed her breathing enough, he placed his hand out in front of him, palm facing up to the ceiling in a silent offering. She looked to his outstretched hand quietly for a moment, taking a slightly shaky breath before she tentatively reached out to him.

He smiled warmly at her as he took her hand in his and held her gaze for a moment longer. “I’ll be real gentle, I promise; okay?” He told her.

She blinked hard trying to keep the tears back as she nodded, not quite ready to speak just yet. He looked back down at her hand in his and studied it for a moment before he set to work with the cloth and solvent. They didn’t speak for a while as he tried to loosen up some of the plates, but when he realized they were in such bad shape, he couldn’t help letting out a little sigh.

“You’ve got a lot of buildup, Luna. I think you should come down to my workshop and let me clean you up properly,” He suggested, setting the cloth down on the counter.

Luna made an uncomfortable noise in the back of her throat and shook her head. “T-they’re okay, Tony. Y-you don’t need to worry, I’ll be fine-“ She stuttered, trying to pull back her hand once again.

Tony frowned as he met her gaze, shaking his head gently. “ _Luna-_ ” He sighed. “Your hands are stiff, the buildup is pretty substantial and it’s only going to get worse if you don’t let me clean them properly,” He told her earnestly.

“Come on…it won’t hurt a bit. I’ll just clean them up nice, get them all shiny and looking like new and then you can start using this cleaner instead of soap every few days, to keep them up,” He told her, reaching up to rub at his eyes.

She shook her head, trying to put her hands in the front of her hoodie pockets, only to realize she wasn’t wearing her hoodie this morning. She started to tremble as she averted her gaze and Tony ducked his head a bit so that she was forced to look at him.

“I get it, truly I do,” Tony told her. “James was like this when he first came to us too…but he lets me clean his arm all the time. It doesn’t hurt, I promise. I’ll be so careful, I swear to you, okay?” Tony tried hopefully.

Luna was chewing on her lower lip hard as she nervously met his gaze. “James lets you clean his arm?” She asked…and Tony was sure it was in the world’s smallest whisper he had ever heard.

He smiled fondly at her and nodded, “Yeah, he does.”

Luna thought about this for a moment, shifting uncomfortably in her spot. “B-but what about your meeting?” She tried, anything to possibly try to get out of this.

Tony smiled at her, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck a bit. “Ah-funny thing that,” He said with a chuckle. “Isn’t that right, J?”

Luna furrowed her brow at him and then Jarvis’ voice was resonating within the kitchen. “It is, Sir. It would appear your morning meeting with the Board of Directors has been cancelled and rescheduled for a later date,” The AI told them.

Tony tried to hide his smirk, loving his AI at the moment. “ _See?_ Funny thing that,” Tony repeated, giving Luna a little smile.

Luna blinked, not entirely sure what had just happened. _Did Jarvis just cancel his meeting to let Tony help me?_ She wondered, eyeing the genius a little warily. But Tony was just smiling at her hopefully. 

She huffed out an uncomfortable breath and then glanced down at her hands that were folded in her lap. She opened and closed them and watched as they lagged a bit. She could feel that they hadn’t been responding to her quite as well as of late. She just-she really didn’t want to bother anyone with it. She figured they would be okay, but clearly the buildup between the plates was going to be a problem if she didn’t get it looked after now.

Her frown deepened for a moment before she glanced up at the genius once again. “So, what do you say? Come down to the workshop with me? I’ll get you all cleaned up and show you a few neat gadgets I’ve been working on too if you like?” He suggested lightly.

She swallowed hard before she gave him a little nod. “Okay, Tony…” She whispered.

Tony beamed at her before hopping up off his stool and before she even had time to react, he was reaching out for her hand and dragging her along towards the elevators. She smiled nervously as she followed along behind him. He was clearly excited about this.

_This is either going to be a really good idea or a really bad one._ She thought worriedly as the elevator doors closed behind them.

Not ten minutes later, Luna found herself looking around Tony’s workshop in absolute wonder. She was unable to keep her gaze settled on any one thing for too long, finding more than enough to keep her busy and thoroughly distracted. 

She was craning her neck to get a better look at Tony’s armour-the Iron-Man suit she had been told it was-as Tony finally managed to get her sitting on a stool by his workbench. As soon as he had managed to grab a couple of tools, he pulled up beside her on a stool of his own and gave her a timid smile. 

She was still distracted with the Iron-Man suit and he couldn’t help chuckling softly under his breath. She glanced to him and gave him a little smile as she finally met his gaze, her eyes still wide and curious. “You doin’ okay?” Tony asked gently.

Luna nodded and took a shaky breath as she eyed the little tool in his hand. He smiled nervously as he set it down on the workbench next to them. “Listen, I’m going to take my time. I’ll be really careful, but I do need to get a look at the insides too, okay? I don’t want to accidentally hurt you, so I gotta’ take a look at the mechanics,” He told her gently.

She nodded nervously and watched as he outstretched his hand towards her. “Jarvis will keep an eye on your vitals and we’ll take it slow, alright?” Tony said, giving her a warm smile.

“Okay, Tony,” She agreed, reaching out and resting her hand in his tentatively.

Tony gave her a nod and laid her hand down on the desk beside them. He was sitting facing her and she, him now and he carefully made sure her arm was comfortable as he slid his fingertips along the forearm of her right arm as he pushed her sleeve up a little more. 

“Alright then, let’s take a look,” He murmured, more to himself than to her.

Within a couple of minutes, Tony had managed to get a proper internal scan of both of her hands and understood the inner workings. They truly weren’t very different than Bucky’s. They were smaller, finer and definitely more delicate, but Tony could see the strength in them. 

He knew they were capable of dealing nearly the same amount of damage as Bucky’s arm could. He currently had a portion of her right forearm’s plating open, the metal plate having retracted in on itself when he found the release hatch. The circuity was exposed as he carefully poked and prodded at the inside of her arm while Luna watched. 

She felt nothing, to her utter relief and she had managed to stop swallowing compulsively every time he could be seen poking at or messing around with the wiring. She was nervous, sure-but she trusted him to look after her and she managed to relax a little while he worked. 

She let her gaze wander around the workshop after a couple more minutes had passed and she was brought back to the brunette when he cleared his throat a bit. “Uh, hey J? Why don’t you give Luna something to play with for a bit, yeah?” He asked, giving her a little smile as he looked back down at the inner workings of her arm.

“Of course, Sir,” His AI replied and instantly a hologram appeared in front of the young woman.

Luna blinked, her attention quickly straying to the image before her. She wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but she peered at it curiously for a moment before she tentatively reached up with the hand Tony wasn’t currently working on to touch it.

Her lips parted, her eyes widening in awe as the image shifted and moved as she touched it. Tony was bent over her arm as it rest atop his workbench, taking steady slow breaths. He swallowed hard as he delved inside with his screwdriver and very carefully explored. 

A couple of minutes passed by like this, Luna busy examining the hologram before her as she touched and manipulated it to her heart’s content, while Tony was obviously very distracted by the task at hand.

Tony was suddenly rolling on his stool over to her other side and she simply smiled at him for a moment before she was reaching out and giving him her left hand to work on now. It didn’t take long for him to open up that forearm and start delving inside. 

She smiled, watching as he immersed himself in his task before her eyes were drawn once again back to the hologram before her. She sighed a little, her head tilting as if in thought as she regarded the image before her. She wasn’t exactly sure what it was, but it looked really neat. She wanted to ask, but she knew he was busy and she didn’t want to distract him, so she kept quite for the time being.

She let her fingertips touch the image again and watched as it shifted. She carefully spread her fingers, wanting to make it bigger and wondering if it worked the same way as when she zoomed in on her tablet. But then the image shifted once again, a piece of the device depicted shifting and revealing something else. 

Her eyes widened and she let out a soft noise of surprise in the back of her throat. Tony heard her and couldn’t help glancing up to see if she was okay. He was surprised to find such an awestruck look on her face and his brows furrowed as he regarded her curiously. 

Just as he was about to ask her if she was okay, she let out a breathy whisper, “It’s so beautiful.”

He furrowed his brow, mouth closing, words dying on his lips as he turned his gaze towards whatever Jarvis had pulled up for her to play with. He swallowed hard before clearing his throat a bit and glancing towards the nearest camera where he was sure Jarvis would be watching. 

Luna looked to him curiously. “What is this?” She asked, glancing back towards the hologram in front of her.

Tony looked back to her nervously and then to the hologram; his Arc Reactor. “Just a toy,” He said, shrugging a little as he picked up another tool. 

She hummed softly under her breath, giving her head a little shake. “Looks like a pretty complicated toy,” She whispered, more to herself than to Tony. 

Tony’s lips quirked, his eyes downcast and focused on the task at hand once again. “More like a glorified night light,” He muttered, but then he was huffing out a very relieved breath. 

“ _And_ crisis averted,” He sighed, removing the little tool from inside her forearm and wiping the sweat that had beaded on his forehead with the back of his arm.

Luna frowned, momentarily distracted as she turned her attention back to the genius. “What crisis?” She asked curiously.

Tony sat back a bit and set his screwdriver down. “Ah, you know-Hydra failsafes-all sorted now though,” He told her with a confident smile. 

Luna’s eyes widened and she glanced down at her hands. “Failsafes?” She repeated nervously.

Tony nodded, already reaching for a little brush and the cleaning supplies he had gathered earlier. “Yep, got the kill switches shut down and all, so there shouldn’t be any issues while I clean you up. I just didn’t want to accidentally trigger something, you know- _dangerous_ ,” He said with lighthearted chuckle.

“I already had one fun bomb scare with James, didn’t feel like reliving that,” He told her with a bit of a wry grin.

A startled noise caught in the back of her throat, her eyes wide as she looked at Tony in clear disbelief. “Y-you can’t be serious? A _bomb_ scare?” She asked incredulously.

Tony shrugged. “Listen-totally not important, okay? It’s all good, you’re all good,” He told her with a reassuring smile as he started to clean her left hand. 

She watched him nervously for a moment, swallowing past the lump in her throat. “You sure you got all of them?” She whispered.

Tony simply smiled, his gaze already focused on cleaning out the grooves in between the plating. “Yeah, Luna. I promise I got them all. Don’t worry, okay?” He told her gently.

She watched him quietly for a moment before she nodded, her gaze slowly returning to the image still being projected in front of her. Tony sighed a little, glancing to her out of the corner of his eye as her gaze shifted back to the hologram of this Arc Reactor. 

“Bring up the Mark V, Jarvis. That’s way more interesting than that old relic,” Tony murmured with a little self-deprecating smile.

Luna watched as the hologram of the ‘toy’ as Tony had called it disappeared and up popped an image of the Iron-Man suit. Her lips quirked a little, wondering what the diagram of the light had been exactly. 

It clearly would emit some kind of light and it looked like it could be some kind of energy source too and although she was curious, she couldn’t help noticing the discomfort it seemed to have brought to the brunette.

She shifted a little in her seat, making sure to keep her hand still as Tony busied himself with cleaning out the plates and soon she was thoroughly distracted with picking apart the Iron-Man suit to see how it worked. 

After a little while, Tony put on some music for them to listen to and they chatted a bit about his favourite bands and the kind of music Luna was currently being subjected to by the rest of the Team. They laughed and Tony joked around with her and he was so pleased to realize that she hadn’t been uncomfortable with him touching her hands one bit during the entire process.

It was close to two hours later when Tony had lunch delivered for them and Luna nibbled at the Chinese take-away with one hand while Tony finished polishing the other. They were laughing and smiling and singing along to a few of the songs Luna had said were her favourites so far, when Bucky slipped down to the lab to see where on Earth the two had managed to slip off to.

He was so surprised at the scene before him that he froze at the entrance, still standing outside of the glass doors as he peered in on the pair. He was left utterly speechless as he watched Tony smiling and polishing Luna’s metal hand while he stole little bites from her Chinese food. 

She was smiling shyly at Tony while he busied himself and soon he was tossing the cloth he’d been using aside and gesturing towards her hands with a sort of hand waving flourish. Bucky couldn’t hear what they were saying to one another, but he watched as Luna gave him such a warm smile before she was holding out her hands in front of her and admiring them.

Tony watched as she pushed her long sleeves up a bit farther to get a better look. He’d been mindful not to push them up over the edge of where metal met skin because he didn’t want to upset her or make her uncomfortable. He knew Bucky had dealt with his fair share of being self conscious about his own scarring and he was sure she had scarring of her own. 

He swallowed hard and watched as a bit of her milky white skin was revealed to him and sure enough, she had scar tissue around the edges. She realized quickly that her skin was on display and she pulled her shirt sleeve down a bit more, covering it hastily.

Unfortunately, Tony had seen. He was frowning deeply, lost in thought as he still looked down at the spot where her scars had just been revealed to him. She shifted uncomfortably, drawing her arms back and folding her hands nervously in her lap. She averted her gaze quickly and Tony looked over at her.

“Hey-“ He said gently. “You know you don’t have to hide from me, from any of us, okay?” He told her softly.

She swallowed hard and forced herself to meet his gaze. “It’s fine-t-thank you, Tony. For everything. I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to help me with this,” She murmured.

Tony’s frown deepened. “There’s no need to thank me. I wanted to do this for you, anything to help, Luna. _Anything_ ,” He told her sincerely.

She nodded a little and held his gaze for a moment longer before she looked down at her hands folded in her lap. Tony gave her a little smile before he was tapping over his Arc Reactor safely hidden beneath his shirt. 

They didn’t say anything for a beat and Luna let her gaze linger on the spot where Tony was tapping at his chest. She’d seen him do that a lot and wondered if it were a sort of nervous tick. But now that she was looking, she realized that the space was slightly raised, as if there were something under his shirt. She forced herself to meet his gaze once more when he let out a deep sigh, his hands dropping back into his lap.

“Thank you,” She murmured.

Tony just smiled at her warmly and let his gaze shift back down to her hands. He reached out to her and placed his palm up in invitation. She looked to him curiously for a moment before she let her right hand rest gently in his. “They’re beautiful, you know,” Tony told her earnestly.

Luna let a soft noise of protest escape her, but Tony just brought her hand up to his chest and cradled it gently against him. “I know they’ve brought you a lot of pain and I know that the people who gave them to you were horrible, despicable people-but _these_ -“ He said gently, giving her hand a little squeeze. 

“You make these beautiful, Luna. Because _you’re_ beautiful,” He told her with an all too sincere smile.

Luna was completely speechless. She simply sat in silence as she stared at Tony in complete disbelief. No one had ever told her she was beautiful. No one had ever told her that her hands were beautiful. She tried to shake her head, to disagree with him, but then his eyes were softening as he regarded her quietly for another moment.

“ _Beautiful-_ “ He said again as he pushed up her sleeve a little more, exposing just the edge of where metal met flesh. 

Her breath caught in the back of her throat as she stared at him in open awe as he tentatively brushed his fingertips against the scar tissue. She couldn’t help flinching a little and he calmly lowered her hand. She pulled it back from him, but made no move to pull down her sleeve for the moment. 

Tony gave her a sincere smile before he was glancing over his shoulder towards the bathroom attached to the workshop. “Hold on a sec-I think I’ve got something for you,” He told her before he stood to head towards the bathroom. 

Luna watched him go curiously and within a minute he was back and handing her a small tub of something. She accepted it hesitantly before he gestured towards it as he took his seat once again. “That’s a really good cream for scars, helps to keep them from itching and stuff,” He told her gently. 

Luna looked down at the little jar and gave him a nervous smile. “Thank you, Tony,” She whispered.

Tony nodded, shifting and clearing his throat uncomfortably as he nodded. “No problem-so-what do you say we head up and grab some coffee or somethin’?” He suggested, trying to get away from the emotional mess that he was about to become.

She smiled, warm and genuine at him as she nodded. “Sure, Tony,” She murmured before she went to stand.

And that’s when Bucky realized he needed to get the hell out of there before either of them noticed him. He had watched the whole exchange and was completely in awe over the pair. So he did the only thing he could think of, he practically sprinted back up the few stairs to the elevator and threw himself inside. 

Thankful that Jarvis hadn’t given him away and clearly had his back if the speed at which he was brought up to their apartment was anything to go by. He bolted out of the elevator, knowing that Tony and Luna would probably be heading up any minute. Unfortunately, he collided with two-hundred-plus pounds of solid muscle.

“ _Oomph-_ “ Steve breathed in surprise and Bucky swore, nearly winding up flat on his back if it wasn’t for the blonde’s fast reflexes.

Steve laughed lightly, arching a brow curiously at him as he righted his lover. “You’re in a hurry, Buck. Everything okay?” He asked curiously.

Bucky huffed out a breath and nodded quickly. “Y-yeah-sorry, I was just in the lab-you’re never going to believe what I just saw-“ Bucky started, only to be interrupted by the elevator behind them dinging as it arrived on their floor.

They could hear laughter from inside and Bucky immediately grabbed Steve’s arm and tugged him into the hallway and towards their bedroom. They’d barely made it around the corner of the hallway before they could clearly hear Tony and Luna laughing lightly and conversing about why Tony didn’t have a coffee machine in his workshop.

Bucky pulled his lover into their room and shut the door quietly before he breathed a sigh of relief. Steve was regarding him with a fond yet amused smile. “What the hell has you so riled?” Steve asked with a little smirk.

Bucky huffed, rolling his eyes as he glanced up at the blonde. “Those two- _Stevie,_ you shoulda’ seen ‘em together in the lab. Luna was laughin’ and smilin’ and she-she was letting him _clean her hands_ ,” He told him with wide eyes and a big smile.

Steve beamed at him, “ _Really?_ ”

Bucky nodded quickly. “They didn’t see me, that’s why I was in a hurry. Didn’t want them to know that I’d been well- _spying_ -on ‘em, even if that’s not what I was doin’. I had every intention of just popping in and making sure they were okay-but then I saw ‘em and I didn’t want to interrupt,” Bucky told him hurriedly.

Steve smiled and nodded, wrapping his arms around the brunette. “Relax, Buck. That’s really great though. I’m so glad she was comfortable enough to let him do that,” Steve told him in earnest.

Bucky nodded, sighing as he wrapped his arms around the blonde’s back and held him close. Steve just smiled and nuzzled his ear. “I couldn’t hear what they were sayin’, but Tony gave her some of that cream he and I use on our scars-I’m just…I’m completely blown away by the idiot,” Bucky confessed with a little huff.

Steve smiled, closing his eyes for a moment as he breathed in the scent of his lover, just holding him close. “You know what he’s like, Buck,” Steve murmured against his temple.

Bucky just melted, smiling fondly as he buried his face against the crook of Steve’s neck. “Yeah…yeah I do, Stevie,” He murmured.

About ten minutes later, Steve and Bucky joined Tony and Luna in the kitchen and soon the rest of the Team was filtering in for dinner and movie night. As they finished tidying up dinner, Bucky and Steve managed to get Tony alone for a beat, practically cornering the genius by the dishwasher as he busied himself with putting away the dirty dishes.

Tony was just moving to wash off his hands in the sink when Bucky sidled up next to him and Steve crowded up on his other side. He looked to his lovers curiously and arched an eyebrow at them in question.

“You’ve been busy today, Tony,” Steve said, giving him a knowing smile.

Tony smiled nervously back. “Uh-sure? I didn’t think so-“

Bucky huffed out a breath and Tony looked to him curiously. “Don’t play dumb with us, Stark. We know you were with Luna this afternoon,” Bucky told him.

Tony narrowed his eyes curiously at the brunette for a moment before he was shrugging and huffing out a breath, moving away from the sink to dry his hands. “So-what if I was?” He asked with a little smirk.

Steve smiled warmly at the genius before glancing over towards where Luna was listening to both Clint and Natasha bicker about who was better at Mario Kart. The young woman was sitting up on the sofa, smiling in fond amusement at the pair as they argued over the game.

Luna was chuckling softly under her breath as Bruce and Wanda strode into the room carrying a few mugs of tea. Wanda stopped by the sofa and passed Luna a cup of the steaming liquid and the young woman smiled appreciatively up at her as she reached up to take it from her tentatively. 

Wanda just smiled warmly down at her, making sure to brush her fingertips against the young woman’s metal ones. Luna barely batted an eye and Steve smiled proudly to himself, noting that her metal hands were still on open display. She had rolled up her sleeves at the dinner table and yeah, there had been surprised glances in her direction, but no one dared say anything.

She had shared a warm smile with Tony when she caught him glancing at her hands openly as she handed him the pad-thai. He had simply smiled back and nodded at her before they went back to their conversations over dinner with the rest of the Team. 

She had left her sleeves rolled up for the duration of the meal and hadn’t bothered to pull them back down since. Steve glanced back to Tony and gave his lover a little smile. “Whatever you did or said to her…it clearly made her feel more comfortable around everyone,” Steve told him earnestly.

Tony smiled, shifting a little as he reached past Bucky to pour himself a fresh cup of coffee. Bucky scowled as he watched a pleased, smile spread across the genius’ face. “Stevie-don’t go makin’ his big head any fatter,” Bucky huffed.

Tony cast them both a devious little smile, still feeling rather pleased with himself. Steve rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you’re probably right. He’s smug enough as it is,” Steve teased.

Tony feigned being insulted but couldn’t help his little grin as he leaned up to kiss Bucky’s cheek and then Steve’s. “Well, at least we know I still got it-“ He smirked, casting a glance over in Luna’s direction.

The young woman happened to look up and meet the genius’ gaze and she gave him a shy smile as Tony winked and raised his mug of coffee in cheers to her. Her cheeks heated, a light blush settling across her features as she raised her mug of tea to her lips to take a sip, quickly averting her gaze. 

Steve and Bucky rolled their eyes simultaneously and tried to hide their smiles as they followed the genius back into the living room. Soon the group was all sprawled out in their respective seats as they decided on what movie to watch first.

Wanda shifted in her seat next to Luna on the sofa and an uncomfortable sound slipped past her lips when something in her shoulder pulled a bit. Luna glanced to her curiously, “Are you okay?”

Wanda frowned a little and sighed, “I slept a bit funny last night, I think. My shoulder’s been a bit tender all day. Guess I just moved wrong and sparked something.”

Luna frowned a bit and nodded, “I’m sorry. I know that’s always uncomfortable.”

Wanda nodded and shrugged, but the motion caused her shoulder to pinch up again and she huffed out a strained breath. Luna went to reach out and comfort her, but just as she was about to touch her, she seemed to realize what she had been about to do. 

Her eyes widened and she hastily brought her hand back down to her lap, but Wanda noticed. She smiled, gentle and reassuring as she met the young woman’s gaze. “Would you mind rubbing my shoulders for me? Just like I do for you sometimes?” She asked quietly.

Luna swallowed hard and tried to keep the woman’s gaze. “I-I don’t know if that’s-“ She started haltingly.

Wanda just smiled at her before she slid down off the couch and settled at Luna’s feet. “It’ll be fine, honestly-I could really use a pick me up and massages always feel so nice,” Wanda told her easily.

Luna averted her gaze hastily when Wanda swept her hair aside to reveal the back of her neck . She was wearing just a thin black t-shirt and Luna knew that even with that little bit of fabric between them, she worried that she might somehow pinch the skin-even if that had never happened to her before-she still worried.

“I don’t want to hurt you-“ Luna started nervously.

Wanda shook her head, glancing back at the young woman. “You won’t, don’t worry,” Wanda said reassuringly. 

Luna took a slightly shaky breath and watched as the woman in front of her shifted her attention back to the television where Clint was scrolling through Netflix for something to watch. She couldn’t help glancing around the room to see if anyone might be watching her struggle with this and when she found everyone busy in conversation with one another, she relaxed; that is, until she met Bucky’s gaze.

Bucky was watching her quietly with a little smile. Their gazes met and she took a slightly shaky breath before she broke the stare and looked back at the young woman at her feet. She slowly reached out, her hands whirring as the plates shifted to recalibrate. She swallowed hard and tried not to let the noise bother her. 

It took her a moment to do anything more than hover her hands above Wanda’s shoulders, but Wanda didn’t comment nor force her to move. She was grateful for the woman’s patience-for the Team’s endless patience with her.

She carefully settled her palms against the woman’s shoulders and took another shaky breath as she let the weight of her hands settle against her, just feeling her through the thin layer of fabric separating metal from skin.

Wanda smiled softly and then Clint was announcing his movie choice. Apparently he wanted to watch _Back to the Future_. So he settled in and the lights dimmed just a bit for them and a few of the group started going on about the film and the actors therein.

Luna was thoroughly distracted by the woman in her grasp as the movie started. She didn’t look up at the screen, too focused on making sure she didn’t apply too much pressure. Wanda was feeling incredibly relaxed as she let Luna massage her shoulders.

The woman’s touch was very tentative at first but after a little while, she grew bolder and started working the muscles of her shoulder blades a bit firmer. “That feels really nice, Luna. Thank you,” Wanda murmured after a while as she let out a couple of sighs.

Luna swallowed hard and nodded, carefully dragging her thumb against the collar of the woman’s shirt by her neck, mindful not to touch skin. “Could you rub my neck a little? It’s a bit stiff,” Wanda asked after a few more minutes of this.

Luna inhaled deeply, her brow furrowing. “I-my hands are cold-I don’t-“ She stuttered and Wanda just smiled and turned her head to look at the young woman.

“It’ll feel nice, don’t worry,” Wanda said confidently.

Luna swallowed past the lump in her throat and took a steadying breath as she tried to ground herself. Wanda just smiled before turning her attention back towards the film. Luna struggled for a moment, her hands completely still against Wanda’s shoulders. Her eyes were drawn to the bit of exposed skin starting at the base of her neck.

“Okay,” She whispered more to herself than to Wanda as her fingertips lightly started to trail up towards the collar of her t-shirt.

Wanda simply smiled to herself as she felt the first tentative brush of metal against the nape of her neck. She couldn’t help the little goosebumps from spreading like wildfire as the young woman’s cool bionic hand gently caressed her heated skin. They weren’t freezing by any means, just a little cool, that’s all.

Luna was trembling as she started to slowly and very carefully rub Wanda’s neck. She took her time just gently dragging her thumb along the length of it from the back of her skull down to the nape of her neck and back up again. 

Wanda was so relaxed beneath her fingertips and Luna tried to relax too. Some of Wanda’s hair had slipped back into place and soon Luna had her hands gently brushing out her hair, just smoothing it out and almost petting it. 

Before she realized it, the movie was over and the lights were coming back on and Luna was absolutely beside herself. She let her hands slip from their careful petting of Wanda’s hair and slowly the young woman got up from her spot on the floor and gave her a warm smile.

“Thank you, Luna. That felt wonderful, my neck and shoulders feel so much better,” She said earnestly.

Luna blinked up at her, unable to do anything else. She wanted to say so many things. She wanted to thank her-beg her to let her keep touching her-hug her- _cry._ She blinked quickly when she felt tears springing to her eyes as she hastily stood, slipping past Wanda.

Wanda looked heartbroken when she realized she was about to cry and she tried to reach out to her, to reassure her, but Luna was already retreating. “I-I’m really tired-I’m going to head to bed-“ Luna said quickly as she stumbled a little towards the hallway that led to their bedrooms.

Wanda stopped trying to go after her and she nodded watching as Luna glanced around nervously at the rest of the Team-who were all looking to her worriedly. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and forced a smile onto her face. “Night-” She breathed, a tear managing to escape her.

She turned away quickly, hastily wiping at her cheek as she rushed towards her bedroom. The room had gone very quiet as they listened to the bedroom door open and close quickly behind her. Wanda frowned deeply as she sat down in the spot Luna had just left on the sofa and put her head in her hands.

“I thought-I thought I was helping her,” She whispered, shaking her head.

Steve let out a little breath and glanced to Bucky who was shifting in his seat to get closer to Wanda. “Hey, kid,” Bucky murmured softly as he reached out to her.

Wanda glanced up at him and he gave her a timid smile. “You are helping her. I’m sure she’ll be okay, she’s just-a little fragile right now. You’ve done a lot for her,” He told her earnestly.

“I’m sure it’s just overwhelming,” Natasha chimed in gently. “I mean, she’s not really had any physical contact with anyone since coming here,” She continued.

The others nodded and murmured their agreement and Tony cleared his throat a little. “I think today was the first time she’d willingly let any of us get close to her like that,” Tony told them before he got this fond little smile on his face.

Wanda and the others looked to him curiously and when he realized they were all sort of staring at him and wondering why, he cleared his throat again. “I mean-she let me clean her hands and all, so that’s progress, right?” He asked them

Wanda’s eyes widened. “She let you touch her?” She asked incredulously.

Tony rubbed the back of his neck nervously as Natasha, Bruce and Clint looked to him for confirmation. “Just her hands-yeah. I offered to clean them for her-she hadn’t been taking care of them and this morning-she sort of had a flashback and one thing led to another and I cleaned her hands-“ He said quickly and not at all eloquently.

And _wow_ , okay-Tony looked _flustered_. It was a good look if Steve and Bucky had anything to say about it. The super-soldiers were watching him curiously, clearly having no idea about the flashback or really _how_ Luna had managed to wind up in his workshop with him. “Your meeting wasn’t cancelled-“ Bucky murmured, surprise and awe and complete adoration for this man clearly making its way onto his face.

Tony tried to object, stuttering out a half-hearted reply as he looked around to the group. “ _What?_ Yes it was-it was cancelled and rescheduled,” He said quickly, trying to brush it off and play it cool.

Steve shook his head in disbelief. “Jarvis? Who cancelled the meeting?” He asked with a little quirk of his lips. 

Tony scowled, hoping that Jarvis would have his back on this one. “Ah-technically I would be to blame for the cancellation, but yes-Sir did lead me to believe that he wished to cancel his meeting with the Board of Directors in order to spend time with Miss Luna this morning,” Jarvis told them.

And okay, now the entire Team was smiling stupidly at him and Tony was glaring adorably. “ _Traitor-_ “ He muttered under his breath.

“ _Look_ -so what? I’m sure she’s just feeling overwhelmed, was a bit of a stressful day for her and like I said-“ He started in frustration, huffing out an exasperated breath. “I’m sure she’s alright- _will_ be alright come morning,” He went on.

Wanda nodded a little, still rather surprised that Luna had let Tony- _of all people_ -get close to her like that given her experience with men touching her. And not to say that Tony was a bad person or anything; he most certainly wasn’t. He was so kind and caring and generous and loving and yeah he could be a complete egotistical asshole at times, but he was still _Tony_. 

The man who gave them all a home to live in, a life to live under his protection. The man who built them things to keep them one step ahead of the people who wanted to destroy them and the world they lived in. The man who went out of his way to make sure everyone was comfortable and well looked after each and every day.

The same man who Steve Rogers and James Barnes had fallen madly in love with for all of those reasons and _so many more_. The two super-soldiers were looking at their lover with nothing but pure love and adoration in their eyes as Tony continued to try and school himself in front of their little group.

One thing Tony did not do well with was taking praise where it was clearly deserved. He had no problem brushing off his good deeds to the press, well-because the press never focused on his good deeds. Always picking out his flaws and things from his past. But his friends on the other hand?

_Well_ -when they got to see his good deeds first hand, they had tried for a time to thank him and be openly grateful for his help. But when this proved useless, as in; Tony giving them snide, sarcastic remarks in response-they realized their error. It was best to thank Tony with gestures rather than spoken words. 

So Steve made him food all the time, Bucky gave him back rubs and scalp massages. Clint went and dragged him up from the lab for breaks to play video games and such, while Bruce brought him coffee and the latest science journals for him to read through. 

Wanda sort of just eased his mind whenever they were in the same room together, pushing out good thoughts and vibes-if you will-to relax him whenever he looked too overworked. And Natasha mentally promised herself that she wouldn’t kill him-that was good enough, right?

Tony cleared his throat again, bringing Wanda out of her thoughts and she smiled. “Y-you’re right, Tony…she’s probably just overwhelmed,” She murmured before glancing back down at her hands. 

Tony nodded, folding his arms across the front of his chest as he glanced towards Natasha, Clint and Bruce who were looking at him with a sort of understanding reflected in their eyes. He decided he didn’t like that and turned his attention towards Steve and Bucky who were doing everything in their power not to just grab him and haul him in for a heated kiss. 

Steve had a bit more control of himself apparently, because as soon as Tony met Bucky’s gaze, the soldier was reaching out to him and pulling the surprised genius into his lap for a fierce kiss.

“God I love you, Tony-“ Bucky breathed against his lips before he was diving back in for another heated kiss.

Steve just smiled longingly at the pair as Tony let out a surprised startled sound in the back of his throat. The others just sort of averted their gaze with soft chuckles and eye-rolls before they were all tidying up the living room and heading off to their own rooms for the night.

Wanda made sure to check in with Jarvis on how Luna was fairing as she crawled into her own bed and when the AI told her that Luna was sleeping peacefully, she was able to relax a bit more as she drifted off into a deep sleep of her own.

 

The rest of the week passed by without incident. Luna had outwardly appeared to be doing just fine after the ordeal with both Tony and Wanda and no one said anything about it. She was feeling more comfortable than she ever thought possible around these people she had come to call her friends and with each passing day, she realized that she was feeling something she hadn’t felt towards someone or something before. 

She wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but she felt calm, reassured- _safe_ with these people and she could only hope that they felt safe around her as well. Later that week she had planned a baking day with Steve, finally having gotten around to gathering a few recipes she wanted to try and having Jarvis send out a grocery order for what she’d need.

When it all arrived, Steve had been in the kitchen making dinner and when he saw her list of recipes, he was rather flabbergasted. She had told him she wanted to try baking a few different kinds of cookies and two kinds of cupcakes and even a lemon pound cake as if it were no big deal. He had looked at her for a solid minute as she unpacked all of the ingredients and tucked them away in the cupboards for later with a stupid grin on his face.

They were all things that he knew for a fact were the Team’s favourite treats. He said no such thing to her about it and simply asked if she’d like help with any of it. She’d been so excited that he wanted to help, that she missed the awestruck look on his face as she had gone on about what day might work best for both of them and which recipes she wanted to start first and why.

So here they were, a couple of days later in their kitchen with all of the ingredients set out and ready to go. Luna had her tablet propped up on the kitchen island with the recipes easily accessible as she started out with the lemon pound cake. 

Steve had given her the recipe and she was told that it required the most time, so she wanted to start the recipe first and get that set up before she dove into the cupcakes and cookies. Everyone had been given explicit instruction to stay out of the kitchen for the entire morning and well into the afternoon as the two super-soldiers busied themselves with their baking. 

Luna was smiling and laughing as she kneaded the cookie dough later that day with Steve by her side. The blonde had been chuckling under his breath until he caught sight of Bucky and Natasha who were watching them with matching amused smiles on their faces.

Steve scrunched up his nose and shook his head as he laughed and motioned for them to come in and join them. Luna didn’t object and simply smiled as Bucky and Natasha came into the kitchen and took a seat at the counter across from them. They chatted for a bit, Bucky trying to figure out what kinds of baked goods they were making and Natasha eyeing the bowl of macadamia nuts with more than a passing interest.

Luna just smiled and shook her head. “It’s a surprise. You can both stay, so long as you don’t ask anymore questions and try and make guesses as to what we’re making,” She told them with a wink.

Bucky beamed at her, “Okay, _little Moon.”_

He teased lightly and Natasha just smiled at the blush that spread high across the young woman’s cheeks at the name. Steve smiled fondly at his lover before he went to lean in and kiss Bucky chastely. 

Bucky had other ideas, however. The brunette swiped the pad of his flesh and blood finger through the cookie dough and _bopped_ Steve on the nose with it. The blonde’s nose scrunched up adorably, his eyes crinkling with mirth as he pulled back only to laugh wonderfully loud and beautiful. Bucky was grinning at him idiotically, completely in love with this incredible doofus and unfortunately missed Luna’s awed expression or what she said. 

But Steve heard it.

“His laughter is like sunshine…” Luna whispered, so soft and tentative.

Natasha looked to her when she heard the timid whisper and when she saw the open look of adoration and wonder on the young woman’s face, she couldn’t help smiling helplessly fond at Steve and then Bucky as well. 

They were both dorks, but she still loved them all the same. Natasha glanced back towards Luna to find the young woman staring down at her hands as they started to roll the dough into little balls, completely oblivious to her gaze and Steve casting her a fond smile of his own.

She looked happy, yet sad and Natasha wasn’t sure what to make of it. She observed her quietly for a beat and saw the young woman glance sideways a couple of times at both Steve and Bucky in turn as the two men continued to tease each other. Steve had managed not to be caught by her, of course.

Steve had also managed to get dough on Bucky’s cheek, much to his chagrin and he just kept laughing that beautifully warm and all encompassing laughter that filled every space and somehow made you feel lighter than air.

Bucky chuckled softly and rolled his eyes, getting up and hip-checking the blonde on his way to the fridge. Steve just smiled fondly at him before turning his attention back to what they were supposed to be doing. He couldn’t help noticing the slight blush that had spread across Luna’s cheeks though. Natasha couldn’t help noticing as well.

They spent the next hour making cookies, having finished the cupcakes and frosted them earlier in the day. The lemon pound cake was cooling on the counter out of sight and now that everything else was just about done, Luna had asked very politely if Bucky wouldn’t mind exiting the kitchen for a while. 

The brunette had looked at her curiously and shot both Steve and Natasha curious glances. “Uh…sure?” He asked uncertainly.

Luna smiled apologetically. “I don’t want the surprise to be ruined before it’s finished,” She told him gently.

Bucky smiled at her and nodded, “Alright, Nat and I can disappear and let you two finish. We wanted to head down to the gym for a bit anyway.”

Natasha nodded, getting up and moving towards the living room with a little wave. “See you for dinner,” Natasha called with a smile.

Luna and Steve both nodded before Bucky gave them both a wink and disappeared after her. When they were left alone together in the quiet of the kitchen, Steve caught her gaze and gave her a little smile. “Why don’t I let you ice the cake on your own? I wanted to maybe go down for a workout too,” He suggested.

Luna smiled shyly at him and nodded. “Okay…thank you for all your help today, Steve. I-I had a lot of fun baking with you,” She told him earnestly.

Steve just smiled and nodded, “I had a lot of fun too, Luna. I’ll see you later, okay? Oh and don’t worry about the dishes, I’ll come back up in a bit and finish tidying up.”

Luna smiled and shook her head, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll finish this and then I’ll take care of the dishes.”

Steve smiled and shook his head lightly as he gave her a little sigh. “If you insist,” He said, only a little over dramatically.

She laughed lightly and shook her head, “Go have your workout. I’ll see you at dinner.” 

Steve smiled and nodded before he gave her a little wave and headed out of the kitchen towards his room to change. Luna smiled quietly to herself for a moment before she went to finish tidying up the kitchen. She would ice the cake when she'd finished the dishes. 

Not fifteen minutes later she’d finished cleaning up and she pulled up a stool to the island where she'd set the cake up with a bowl of the lemon icing. She wanted this to be perfect so she made herself comfortable and set to work drizzling the icing carefully over the top of the cake. 

She probably used too much-but really-not like it was going to hurt anyone. Once she finished, she put the lid over the cake and set it aside for later. She wanted to bring it out after dinner along with the rest of the goodies her and Steve had made for everyone. 

Yawning, she decided to go and wash up before she took a little nap, not expecting anyone to be by until later in the evening. They had already decided on ordering in Greek food so she figured she'd get Jarvis to wake her once everyone was around. So she slipped off to her bedroom to rest for an hour or so. 

Later that evening, after the Team had filtered in-minus Tony; apparently he’d been cooped up in the lab all day-for dinner. Luna brought out her desserts, all carefully placed in little white bakery boxes with people's names written in sharpie on the lids. 

Everyone was looking to her in question as she set each box down in front of them. The only members of the group without a box in front of them were Bucky and Steve. Bucky was looking thoroughly curious as he glanced around at everyone else's presents and watched as Luna went towards the fridge.

"Go on-open them," Luna said with a smile over her shoulder.

She watched as the rest of the Team started opening the little white cardboard boxes and were all delighted to find cookies and cupcakes of their favourite kinds. They all immediately started to express their delight and excitement as they delved into their own boxes. 

Steve sat at Bucky's side, watching all their friends smiling faces as they tentatively examined the cookies and cupcakes they had received. Bucky was watching Luna as she went towards the fridge and leaned out of sight over the counter to pull something that had been hidden from his view. 

She carefully pulled a large portable cake holder out of the corner and lifted the lid, setting it aside before bringing it over towards where Bucky and Steve sat together. She nervously placed it down in front of Bucky and Steve cast her a warm sincere smile as she murmured, " _Ta-da-_ "

Bucky was flabbergasted. He stared at the cake in happy surprise, his eyes wide and lips parted. "I-is this-?" Bucky started nervously, glancing towards Steve first, then Luna. 

Steve smiled and nodded. "Luna asked me a while back what your favourite dessert was...told her you'd always had a soft spot for lemon pound cake," Steve confessed with a little smirk. 

Luna was watching Bucky nervously, clearly excited but incredibly nervous about whether or not the cake was going to be alright. Bucky cleared his throat a little and looked back towards the cake and then around their table at all of their friends checking out the contents of their own boxes as well as everyone else’s. Some of them were starting to eye his cake with avid interest, however.

"Steve was kind enough to give me a recipe to go off of, so I hope it's okay," Luna murmured. 

Bucky's eyes widened and he glanced towards the blonde. "Is this your _ma's recipe_?" He asked curiously. 

Steve's gaze softened and he smiled warmly at his lover. "Yeah, Buck," He replied gently. 

Bucky inhaled deeply and glanced towards Luna, only to find her looking just as surprised as he was and staring at Steve in open mouthed shock. "Y-you didn't tell me it was your mother's recipe, Steve," She breathed, her cheeks colouring. 

Steve smiled at her tenderly, "Didn't want to put any added pressure on you, I'm sure it's going to be lovely.”

Luna swallowed hard and glanced towards Bucky. “Should we cut it and share?" Steve asked lightly as he looked to his lover.

Luna's cheeks were coloured adorably so and Bucky found he couldn’t look away. He shook his head in clear shock. “Hell yes I want to cut it-whether or not I want to share with anyone, _well-_ " He said with a grin. 

Luna laughed nervously and hastily went to get a knife for him. As he was trying to figure out how best to cut it, she went to gather some forks and plates for everyone. She set the plates down and watched as Bucky cut himself a piece. He was all smiles and she was just a bundle of nervous energy as she handed him a fork. 

“Alright- _here we go_ ,” Bucky said lightly, taking the fork from her and picking up a little piece.

Steve watched him with a smile on his face, the others thoroughly interested in the proceedings now. Luna took a shaky breath as she watched the brunette take a bite. Bucky breathed in deeply through his nose as he took his first bite, the wonderful flavours enveloping his tastebuds. He moaned, quickly glancing towards Luna with wide adoring eyes and a huge smile on his face as he swallowed the delicious cake. 

“ _Yeah_ -I ain’t sharin’ a crumb of this. It’s _perfect_ , Luna. This tastes just like Sarah used to make,” Bucky praised before glancing over to Steve.

Luna let out a relieved breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and looked towards Steve. The blonde was smiling fondly at his lover and when he realized Luna was looking to him, he met her gaze and gave her a little smile. “Knew it’d be perfect,” Steve told her earnestly.

Her cheeks flushed even more so if at all possible and she looked down at her hands nervously.She didn’t have time to dwell on that for very long, because soon Clint was grabbing a fork and trying to steal a bite of the cake for himself. But Bucky was on the defensive so fast and they were all whooping and hollering at each other as they tried to steal a bite. 

Luna laughed, drawing away from the table to put some of their dishes away as the Team tried to convince Bucky to share. In the end, only Steve and Natasha had managed to successfully steal a nibble. Steve sighed deeply as he looked to his lover, still wielding a fork threateningly in first Clint’s direction and then his.

He rolled his eyes. “C’mon, Buck. You’re not being very nice. We all just want a little piece,” Steve told him with a smirk.

Bucky huffed out a breath, “Yeah-yeah… _fine_. I’ll share, I guess.”

Steve chuckled softly and stood, kissing his lover’s cheek before he cut a few pieces for Wanda, Natasha, Clint, Bruce and then himself. “That’s more like it, sugar,” Steve murmured.

Bucky rolled his eyes, “Don’t try and butter me up, Stevie. You’re gonna’ have to ask Luna to make me another cake if they finish it all.”

Steve beamed at him, his nose scrunching up and eyes crinkling as he handed out a couple of slices of the cake. “Sure thing, Buck,” Steve chuckled.

Bucky rolled his eyes and got up, going over to see if he could help Luna with some of the cleanup. She smiled at him hesitantly as he sidled up beside her. “Hey-“ He said gently.

“Hey-“ She replied nervously.

Bucky let out a little sigh as he met her gaze. “Thank you,” He said, making sure to hold her gaze. “That was really sweet, what you did for everyone and me included,” He told her earnestly.

She smiled nervously, averting her gaze for a moment. “Just wanted to do something nice for everyone, as a sort of thank you, I guess,” She told him quietly.

Bucky smiled at her, warm and sincere, “You don’t have to thank any of us, Luna. But we do appreciate you making such nice things for us.”

Luna looked up at him and nodded a little. “Think you could manage to save a piece of your cake for Tony?” She asked softly.

Bucky chuckled and nodded, “Course I will.”

She smiled and nodded. “I made him some cupcakes and cookies as well, but I guess he’s really busy today-“ She said with a little sigh.

Bucky smiled at her. “He’s been cooped up in the lab since this morning. Why don’t you take one of your treats down to him and see if you can convince him to take a break?” He suggested.

“Really? Do you think that would be okay?” She asked hesitantly.

Bucky nodded, glancing over to Steve who had joined them. “Yeah, of course,” Bucky told her earnestly.

“He’ll be happy to see you, I’m sure,” Steve chimed in.

Luna bit her lower lip gently and thought about it for a moment. She didn’t want to bother Tony, but she also agreed with Bucky-if Tony had been down in his workshop all day and hadn’t taken a break yet-then he could definitely use one. She nodded, finally making her decision. 

“Okay, I’ll take him one of the cupcakes I made for him,” She said excitedly before moving over towards the box she had set aside for him. 

Steve and Bucky shared a quiet smile and left her to it before rejoining their friends to have some more cake and explore the other treats that Luna and Steve had made. As they sat back down at the table, Steve leaned against his lover and rested his head against the brunette’s shoulder.

“What’s the matter, Stevie?” Bucky asked quietly.

Steve sighed, glancing towards where Luna was stepping into the elevator with a cupcake cradled carefully in the palm of her hand and a nervous smile on her face. “I think we have a problem, Buck,” Steve murmured before glancing up at his lover with a shy smile.

Bucky just smiled back reassuringly, wrapping his arm around his lover’s shoulders and drawing him close. “We’ll solve it,” He told him confidently.

Steve nodded, closing his eyes as he relaxed against Bucky’s side and let out a sigh. Bucky just smiled and soon he was feeding the blonde a piece of cake and laughing along with the rest of the Team as they all shared their treats with one another.

 

Tony took a steadying breath as he slipped the modified Arc Reactor unit slowly into the cavity in his chest. He fiddled with the mechanism that connected magnetically inside for a beat as he slotted it into place. It clicked audibly and he allowed it to set in and he shuddered at the odd feeling of having it back inside him. 

What he hadn’t counted on, however, was the audible gasp from beside him. He nearly jumped, incredibly mindful of the fact that he was still holding the edge of the Arc Reactor and hadn’t locked it in just yet. He glanced quickly to where the sound had come from and froze. Luna stood not three three feet away from him staring at the Reactor in a mix of sadness, hurt and what looked like understanding.

“ _Luna-_ “ He breathed as he quickly turned the Arc Reactor to lock it in place.

He went to sit up but Luna was suddenly standing right beside him, cupcake abandoned on the worktable beside them. She reached out to him with no hesitation whatsoever and placed the palm of her metal hand against his chest, right below the Arc Reactor with her fingers just barely touching the edge where metal met flesh.

Tony froze, his eyes wide with fear and panic. He looked to her in shock, taking in her wide eyes, furrowed brow and parted lips. She was touching him so carefully, just holding him in place against the chair he had been sitting in. She swallowed hard and slowly drew her gaze up to meet his. 

“Some complicated toy you got there, Tony,” She whispered, holding his gaze.

Tony swallowed hard, his brows drawn down as he regarded her quietly for a moment. He was reminded of the time Pepper had walked in on him when he’d been struggling to change the Reactor and the way her face had looked in that moment-he was incredibly relieved to find that Luna’s expression looked nothing like her’s.

She didn’t look frightened or disgusted, she looked curious and sad and a ton of other things. He tried to find his voice and only succeeded in opening and closing his mouth a couple of times. He forced himself to take a deep, shaky breath and he finally managed to whisper, “More of a glorified night light, really.”

The corner of the young woman’s lips quirked, a hint of a smile that wanted to spread. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and let her gaze drift back down towards the Arc Reactor and it’s steady blue glow that illuminated the space between them. 

Tony inhaled sharply when her fingers shifted, gently brushing against the metal before they drifted a little lower to trace along the scarring. He couldn’t exactly feel very well with all the scar tissue, but he could still feel some pressure as she explored the edges of the device embedded in his chest.

She was looking upon the scarring and the light as if it were something so awe inspiring and he honestly didn’t know what to make of that. He swallowed hard and was about to speak, say anything that would make this less awkward and painful for him; when she breathed out a soft whisper. 

“ _Beautiful-_ “ She murmured.

And it was the honest truth. She’d never seen something so amazing before. She didn’t understand what it did in the slightest, but it looked to be almost a part of his heart. She wondered if it were his heart, keeping him alive maybe too. She glanced up to meet Tony’s gaze again and she gave him a soft smile.

“It isn’t-“ Tony said meekly.

Luna’s smile faltered, her gaze softening. She realized in that moment that their positions had been reversed only earlier that week when Tony had called her hands beautiful. She swallowed hard but then Tony was shifting, trying to get up and she realized he was also trying to grab the shirt that was beside him on the arm rest of the chair.

She frowned a little and shook her head, pushing on his chest, gentle but firm in an attempt to still him. When he froze once again, taking a shaky breath as he met her gaze, she nodded. 

“Yes it is, Tony. It’s beautiful, your light-your heart-it’s _beautiful,_ ” She told him, trying to make him understand what she saw.

He shook his head and tried to voice all the thoughts that were running through his brain but when she sighed softly and let her gaze return to the Arc Reactor with her fingers still brushing carefully against the edge of metal and scarring; he could do nothing but stare at her in confusion.

He didn’t believe it, he never did. Steve and Bucky always told him it was beautiful, that it was a part of him and that they loved him, _all of him_. And that apparently included the infernal contraption. 

“It’s like-“ Luna started, letting her gaze settle upon the Reactor once again. 

She shook her head, unable to find the right words as she watched the light shift as she let her fingertips splay wide against the glass. Tony shivered at the sensation of her touching him like this and she blinked, realization suddenly dawning on her.

“ _Like a star_ ,” She breathed. “A beautiful bright star guiding you out of the darkness,” She whispered, completely mesmerized by the light as it glinted against her metal hands.

Tony’s eyes widened as he stared at her in complete awe. _No one_ had _ever_ said it looked anything like that before. Even he didn’t ever think of it that way. He started to tremble and this time, when he shifted in an attempt to sit up more, Luna let him.

She blinked and as if regaining some kind of focus, she let her gaze shift back to meet Tony’s dark brown eyes. They looked glossy, as if he were about to cry and she carefully withdrew her hand from him, swallowing hard. “I-I’m sorry, Tony-I didn’t-I’m-“ She started, panic washing over her.

Tony shook his head gently, reaching out to grab her wrist as she started to pull away from him. “Don’t apologize- _please_ ,” He begged, holding her wrist gently. 

He drew her back towards him as he sat up properly and shifted to face her. She stared at him with wide eyes and she blinked a couple of times. “Did I hurt you?” She asked nervously.

Tony quickly shook his head, “Of course not, Luna-I just-“ He tried haltingly, but had to give up and let out a sigh when he couldn’t find the right words.

He slowly released her wrist, his gaze shifting to anywhere else but her for just a second so that he could try and collect himself; collect his thoughts. When his gaze settled upon the cupcake she had brought with her, he huffed out a little laugh. 

“D-did you bring me a _cupcake?_ ” He asked curiously.

Luna swallowed, still looking at him and feeling so lost and confused. “Y-yes,” She stuttered. “I-I baked today with Steve. Cupcakes, cookies and a cake too-you didn’t come up for dinner-Steve and James said that you’d been down here all day, so I wanted to bring you a treat,” She told him earnestly.

Tony smiled, just a hint of a thing as he nodded. “That was really sweet of you,” He told her in genuine honesty.

Luna took a deep breath before she managed to will herself to move. She went towards his workbench and picked up the cupcake, her back to him for only a moment. When she turned around, cupcake safely cradled in her hands, she found him pulling his t-shirt over his head. She averted her gaze for a moment as soon as the light was covered and Tony huffed out a little breath as he stood up from his seat.

“What kind is it?” He asked curiously as he strode towards her. 

Luna slowly met his gaze as he came to stand before her. “Red velvet with vanilla icing,” She murmured, holding it out to him tentatively.

Tony smiled, warm and genuine at her. “That’s my favourite,” He told her softly.

Luna smiled hesitantly back at him before whispering, “I know.”

And that’s when Tony Stark realized he may have a problem. As he gazed into the young woman’s gorgeous grey eyes, he swallowed down the lump in his throat as he took a slightly shaky breath. She was still smiling tentatively back at him and he carefully reached out to take the cupcake from her hands. 

“Thank you, Luna,” He murmured; and he didn’t mean for the cupcake…though he was thankful for that too.

He only hoped she understood what he meant. If the little quirk of her lips and the glossiness reflected in her eyes was anything to go by, he was sure she had gotten the message. 

 

“I think we may have a _teeny-tiny_ problem…” Tony confessed, shutting the bedroom door behind him after following both Steve and Bucky inside.

Both super-soldiers groaned, turning to look at the genius. “Is this a; ‘I created a sentient toaster in my sleep and I’m afraid for my safety,’ sort of problem? Or a; ‘I may have created a bomb that could destroy half the _globe_ ,’ sort of problem?” Bucky asked in exasperation.

Tony scowled, adorably so at his lovers and Steve couldn’t help smiling stupidly at Tony’s expression. “The toaster thing was one time-anyway-no- _neither-_ “ He said hurriedly. 

“This is more along the lines of; I may have started developing feelings for a certain someone and now I’m panicking because I’m happily in love with you two idiots and didn’t think I’d ever have _feelings_ like this for someone else ever again,” He groaned, flopping himself down face first onto their bed. 

Both Steve and Bucky stood there looking completely bewildered as they looked at their lover sprawled out on their bed. “ _Tony-_ “ Steve murmured.

Tony sighed deeply, turning onto his back as he gazed up at his lovers. “Is this about Luna?” Bucky asked gently, glancing at Steve as he made his way towards their bed to sit next to Tony.

Tony nodded, sitting up and frowning deeply as both of his lovers came to join him in their bed. “She came down to the lab with a cupcake for me-“ Tony started, shaking his head at the sentiment. 

Steve smiled gently. “We told her she should pay you a visit. Did something happen?” Steve asked quietly.

Tony nodded, scrubbing a hand over his face and successfully smearing grease he hadn’t known he still had on him over his cheek. Bucky smiled fondly at his lover before drawing him into his side for a gentle embrace. “What happened, Tony?” Bucky asked.

Tony huffed out a little breath as he let his eyes close, just resting against the brunette. “I was doing upgrades on the Arc Reactor-she-she saw me with the thing hangin’ out of my chest and everything. I-I don’t even know how long she was standing there-but she must have seen me put it back in-“ Tony told them in nothing more than a whisper.

Bucky’s grasp on his lover tightened just a little. He knew how the man felt about the Reactor and to know that he had been put in such a vulnerable position played with his heart. Steve sighed softly from next to them and Tony looked over at him quietly for a beat.

Steve was watching him with a sort of kicked puppy look on his face and Tony wanted to shy away from him. “You know you don’t have to be ashamed of it, Tony,” Steve murmured as he leaned in a little closer to them.

Tony nodded, “I know-I do- _truly I do_ -“ He told them and then shook his head. “It’s just-what she was saying to me-the way she was _looking_ at me-at _it_ -it was twisting my heart in the worst kind of way,” Tony admitted with a soft sigh.

Bucky frowned a little. “What did she say to you?” He asked curiously.

Tony shook his head, huffing out a breath. “I don’t think I want to tell you,” He muttered.

Bucky sighed and watched as Tony slipped out of his grasp and tried to head to the bathroom, but Steve caught his wrist and tugged him back, pulling him into his lap. Tony let out a frustrated sigh and Steve wrapped his arms around him, slowly pushing up the front of the brunette’s shirt to splay his hand wide against the coolness of the Arc Reactor hidden beneath.

“Tell us what she told you, love,” Steve murmured, gently caressing his lover’s chest; just feeling the light thrumming of the Reactor beneath his fingertips.

Tony shivered at the touch and glanced towards Bucky as he came and kneeled between their legs at the edge of the bed. He met the brunette's gaze and swallowed down the lump in his throat. "She told me it looked like a star..." He whispered.

Bucky's gaze softened, an adoring smile turning up the corners of his lips. " _Tony-_ " Bucky started. "You look like you're going to cry, baby. Are you feelin' a little emotional?" Bucky teased, only a little; the sparkle in his eyes told Tony that he was being nothing but loving in that moment. 

Tony huffed out a little breath, averting his gaze. "'M not-" He muttered. "I'm just-star's are already dead, you know-so really she was insulting me-" He told them as he tried to feign hurt.

They weren't buying it. 

" _Tony-_ " Steve admonished gently with a roll of his eyes. "Clearly she wasn't _insulting_ you. She told you it looked like a star to her...I think that's lovely. I bet she even called it beautiful too-I know how much she enjoys stargazing," Steve told them with a little smile. 

Tony huffed out a breath, but didn't confirm nor deny it, which really-sort of answered that question. Bucky smiled up at his lovers, watching as Steve continued to caress Tony's chest. "I think that's really sweet, Tony," Bucky told him. 

Tony frowned then, meeting the brunette's gaze. "You don't seem to be getting the seriousness of my problem-" He groaned. 

" _Ah-_ " Steve sighed, glancing over Tony's shoulder to meet Bucky's gaze. "Might be a problem similar to the one I’ve found myself facing," Steve confessed. 

"What?" Tony asked curiously, turning in the blonde's grasp to look at him better.

Steve sighed a little, "Earlier, when Luna and I were baking-Bucky and Natasha were sitting with us and you know Buck-he started being a goofball and I started laughing-Luna said something that I don't think she'd meant for anyone to hear, least of all me."

"Oh?" Bucky said; despite having been there, he'd obviously missed what had been said. 

"What did she say?" Tony prompted. 

Steve cleared his throat a little and glanced away from his lovers. "She said my laugh was like sunshine," He murmured. 

Both Bucky and Tony couldn't help smiling warmly at the blonde. "Yeah, Stevie-it is," Bucky told him. 

Steve sighed deeply, "And that's when I realized I may have developed some feelings of my own for her." 

Tony sighed and glanced towards Bucky who was quickly averting his gaze and huffing out a breath as he got to his feet. "Don't be mad," Steve said quickly, clearly misreading Bucky's departure. 

"I'm not, Stevie. Not in the least-I just-" Bucky started nervously, shaking his head in frustration.

"Just what?" Tony asked curiously. 

Bucky sighed. "I mean-it's not like I don't like her or anything'-I just, I haven't thought about it really, liking her like that-I mean-“ He said quickly, huffing out a breath. 

Steve and Tony listened to him, trying to make sense of everything he was saying. “And even if I did-she'd never honestly be able to _return_ those feelings-if I did have ‘em-or she did-or _you know-_ ” He rushed out. 

Steve frowned a little, clearly confused. "What do you mean by that?” He asked curiously, his brows drawing together in a curious furrow.

Bucky frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed in frustration. "Hydra made her want to be with me or whatever. Anything she'd feel for me would have been planted there by them first-it wouldn't be real or right of me to take advantage of that," He told them earnestly. 

Steve let a slightly undignified noise slip free. "Are you trying to say that she could _never_ feel that way about you and mean it? Cuz you're clearly not giving yourself much credit here, Buck. You're a wonderful man,” Steve told him with a sincere smile.

_“Look_ -“ He said firmly, turning to his lovers. “We have no idea how she feels anyway-it’s not like I’m going to run in there and confess my undying love for her or somethin’-I-I don’t even know if I like her like that-“ He said quickly, trying to swallow down the awful feeling in his chest.

“And we have no idea how she feels,” Tony so helpfully reminded them. 

Bucky and Steve both sighed heavily and Tony looked up at them. “And it’s not like we’re going to act on these feelings,” Steve said gently. 

“ _Right-_ “ Bucky quickly agreed.

But when Tony didn’t respond right away, they looked to him for confirmation. He seemed to be off in his own little world for a moment and when he realized he was being looked at, he met his lover’s curious gazes.

“Uh…” He said eloquently, jaw hanging open and everything.

“It’s not like we’re going to act on these feelings- _right, Tony?_ ” Steve asked.

Tony nodded, not quite sure _why_ they weren’t going to. “I’m gonna need to hear it in _words_ , this time,” Bucky muttered.

Tony huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he regarded his lovers. “Well, now I’m not so sure-I mean, _why_ aren’t we going to at least _show_ her that we care about her?” Tony asked curiously.

Steve shook his head, “We never said that, Tony-I just meant that we shouldn’t act on our feelings to the point of making her uncomfortable or… _something_ -” He finished lamely.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Okay-fair enough. We won’t go out of our way to make her feel uncomfortable-I’d never do that to her. But, I would like to know if she has _any_ kind of feelings for us in that way,” Tony said gently.

Bucky sighed, glancing towards Steve. “It’s not like we can ask her-“ Bucky started.

“Have either of you considered that perhaps she doesn’t even know _how_ to like someone in that way?” Steve asked timidly.

They both stopped short and Steve looked to them quietly from his spot on the bed. “I think we’re getting completely ahead of ourselves here,” Bucky said softly as he ran his hands nervously through his hair. 

“You’re right-“ Tony said quickly as he tried to relax back against Steve’s large frame. 

The blonde shifted, his hand slipping from beneath Tony’s shirt before he moved to caress Tony’s grease stained cheek. “How about you go take a shower, love,” Steve murmured against his neck.

Bucky nodded. “We can discuss this later,” He suggested.

Tony nodded, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Yeah, okay,” He muttered with a half-hearted sigh. 

Steve and Bucky looked to one another as Tony slipped from the blonde’s grasp and disappeared into the bathroom. Bucky came over and sat next to his lover at the edge of the bed, looking down at his hands as he folded them in his lap. “You think everything’s gonna’ work itself out?” Bucky asked worriedly.

Steve tried to smile as he wrapped an arm around the brunette’s shoulder, drawing him in close. Bucky went willingly and relaxed as Steve pressed his lips to his temple and breathed out a soft sigh. 

“Yeah, Buck. Everythin’ll work out alright, don’t worry,” Steve murmured against him. 

Bucky closed his eyes and nodded. “Maybe it’ll pass-maybe it’s just because we took her in, helped her out and got a little too close with her in the process,” Bucky tried, but his heart clearly wasn’t in it.

Steve sighed softly, letting his hand trail down the brunette’s back in a soothing caress. “Maybe, Buck,” He murmured in response.

Bucky nodded, but even he could tell that this wasn’t just some kind of an infatuation. The fact that Tony had said the word _feelings-_ at all-had clearly been a shock to he and Steve. Tony _never_ liked using that word, least of all admitting that he’d had any sort of feelings in the first place. 

“What do you say we go join him in the shower?” Steve suggested.

Bucky smiled softly and nodded, already reaching for the hem of his shirt, “Sounds like an excellent plan there, Stevie.”

Steve just chuckled softly before he stood and followed suit.

 

Bucky lay wide awake later that same night, his eyes fixated on the ceiling in the dim light of their bedroom. Tony and Steve were sound asleep by his side, curled up together. Steve was being the big spoon, as per usual and Tony was curled in on himself, his hand resting protectively over the Arc Reactor-Steve’s resting comfortably beneath his. 

He smiled fondly at the pair as he slipped quietly from their bed. He’d not been able to sleep and had spent the last hour or so just thinking and trying to figure out how he actually felt about Luna. That’d been a fool’s errand, apparently. As he pulled on a t-shirt, he heard the sound of Luna’s door from across the hall opening and closing softly and her light footsteps following down the hall.

He frowned, wondering why she was up so late. Glancing to the clock on their bedside table, he glowered at the time; 2am.

He let out a little sigh before he slipped quietly out of their bedroom in just a pair of loose grey track pants and a black t-shirt. He made his way into the living room and frowned when he didn’t see Luna anywhere. 

“Jarvis?” He asked softly.

“Sergeant Barnes, how may I be of assistance?” The AI responded.

Bucky huffed. “Just Barnes is fine-for the _thousandth_ time,” He muttered under his breath.

“I’m sorry, Sir. But Mr. Stark is the only one who can override the names of those he has assigned specific rankings to,” Jarvis replied.

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Of course-anyway; where’d Luna get to?” He asked curiously.

“Ah-she is out on the balcony, Sir,” Jarvis told him.

Bucky nodded, muttering his thanks as he headed towards the balcony doors. Now that he was looking, he could vaguely see the outline of the young woman as she leaned against the railing outside. Stepping up to the glass, he knocked gently to let her know he was there.

She turned, clearly surprised at the sound and smiled nervously when she saw who it was. He smiled in return and opened the door, slipping outside into the warm night air. “Hey-“ He greeted softly, closing the door behind him carefully.

She smiled gently, turning her attention back to the cityscape. “Hey-“ She greeted.

Bucky came up beside her and leaned against the railing, folding his hands out over the edge. “Couldn’t sleep?” He asked lightly.

Luna shook her head. “I had a bad dream, thought I could stick it out and maybe try to go back to sleep-but then Jarvis told me that there would be a scheduled power outage in a few minutes and the thought of being cooped up in my room in the dark-“ She shuddered and clasped her hands a bit tighter.

Bucky swallowed and nodded. “You really don’t like the dark, do you?” He asked.

She shook her head, glancing to him out of the corner of her eye. “Jarvis has been slowly helping me adjust to the idea of sleeping in the dark or just being in a dimly lit space-but it’s still really hard,” She told him earnestly.

Bucky nodded, a frown marring his features. “I’m sorry-maybe I can go look for some candles or something for us before the lights go out?” He suggested.

But then the lights that had been illuminating the balcony shut off and a quick glance back inside told him that the scheduled power outage had already begun. Luna inhaled sharply from beside him and looked up at the Moon-which unfortunately was only a pale sliver in the sky tonight. 

“Too late-“ She breathed and her voice sounded so strained to his ears.

“I’ll stay out here with you, Luna. Don’t worry-I’m sure the lights won’t be out for too long,” He told her.

She shook her head, taking a shaky breath as she shifted and tried to focus on the Moon’s gentle light. “You don’t have to stay here with me-I’ll be fine-besides; Jarvis said the power would be offline for close to an hour. I don’t think you’d want to be stuck out here with me the whole time,” She said.

Bucky frowned. “I’d like to stay out here with you, Luna. I want to help-however I can,” He told her sincerely.

She swallowed hard, managing to pry her gaze away from the Moon long enough to look to him. “Thanks,” She whispered.

Bucky smiled softly at her, “No problem.”

She took another shaky breath and Bucky shifted a little closer to her. “Just take deep breaths and try and relax. I’m right here with you, okay?” He told her quietly.

She nodded, trying to do as he said. After a minute or so of steady breathing, she let out a strained chuckle. “Don’t suppose you have a light like Tony?” She asked softly.

Bucky’s lips quirked into a little half-smile. “Nah-he’s the only one with a built in night light,” Bucky told her with a chuckle.

Luna’s lips turned up into a sad little smile. “He called it a glorified night light too,” She told him.

Bucky’s gaze softened. “Of course he did-he hates whenever we refer to it as such and yet he can go and call it that no problem,” He told her, huffing out a little laugh.

Luna smiled fondly, feeling less uncomfortable with the darkness surrounding them. She swallowed hard as she turned to look at the man beside her. “I know it’s not my place to ask about it, but I-it worried me-seeing him like that-I’m assuming he told you what happened,” She murmured.

Bucky nodded, looking to her, “He did.”

She nodded a little. “I saw a diagram of the light in his chest earlier in the week-when he was cleaning my hands,” She said. “I didn’t know what it was until yesterday and after I saw it-I had so many questions. I just want to know if he’s okay,” She whispered.

Bucky couldn’t help smiling at her warmly. “Yeah, _little Moon_. He’s alright-it’s just-it’s a bit complicated, but it helps protect his heart,” Bucky told her.

Luna nodded, “I’m sorry for asking-I feel like I’m betraying his trust-I was just so worried and me seeing it clearly upset him.”

Bucky nodded, “Don’t apologize. It’s alright, yeah-I mean-he’s really sensitive about it, but he wasn’t angry or upset with you at all.”

Luna nodded, turning her attention back out towards the city. Bucky watched her gaze shift and regarded her quietly for a moment. Even in the dim light, he could make out her features quite well. She always looked beautiful, always just as stunning as the Moon itself and he wondered if she realized just how beautiful she really was.

She was still covering up with long sleeved shirts and baggy track pants, but she’d been getting more comfortable with showing her arms from time to time. He never did see what kind of scarring she had and yeah, he knew she must have some-especially since he had seen Tony give her the cream to help keep scars from getting itchy or irritated-but he knew she wasn’t quite ready to wear anything too fitted or revealing.

He wasn’t sure if he would be ready for that exactly. He admired her when she wore nothing but sweats and long sleeved shirts and hoodies-put her in something like jeans and a t-shirt-and yeah, he’d be hard pressed not to stare too openly at her, he was sure. He tried to shake himself out of his thoughts as he continued to openly stare at her.

He forced his gaze to follow her own, looking out across the city and all it’s thousands of twinkling lights. “You okay?” He asked her gently.

Luna nodded, taking a deep breath, “Yeah, James. Thank you for staying with me.”

Bucky just smiled, “Don’t mention it.”

They stayed like that for a little while together, just enjoying each other’s company. He could tell that Luna was starting to get antsy though with the way she kept glancing towards the doors that led inside. “Here-why don’t we sit down?” Bucky tried, motioning towards one of the outdoor sofas tucked away in the alcove. 

Luna eyed it warily, clearly not impressed with the idea of going further away from the light the Moon was giving off. Bucky gave her a timid smile. “Come on, I’ll be right there with you,” He told her, holding out his hand for her to take.

She looked at his outstretched hand as she stood up a little more. She made no move to take it or step towards the sofa, however, and Bucky wiggled his metal fingers at her. She couldn’t help smiling a little as she nodded and carefully reached out to rest her hand in his. He tried to stifle the triumphant grin he wanted to sprout as he carefully grasped her hand in his and pulled her along to the sofa.

They sat down side by side, only a small space in between them and Bucky made no move to release her hand as he held it gently in his in the space between them. Luna was breathing a little more quickly as she tried to steady herself. Her eyes starting to dart from one thing to the next and he squeezed her hand a little firmer. 

“ _Hey-_ look at me for a sec,” Bucky said to her.

Luna quickly met his gaze and tried to focus on his grey-blue eyes. “There you go,” Bucky murmured. “Just focus on me for a bit, okay?” 

She nodded, blinking hard as she tried to hold his gaze. “There you go,” He whispered, trying to think of what he could do or say to her to help her stay calm. 

She was trembling a little and he pulled her hand closer to his chest as he shifted to face her better. She let him, unable to do anything but stare into his eyes. He tilted his head a little, as if deep in thought and he smiled warmly at her.

“I never realized how pretty your eyes were until now,” He murmured. 

Her eyes widened a little. “They’re not-“ She breathed.

Bucky’s gaze softened, “Yeah doll, they are. Seeing them in the moonlight like this-“ He shook his head gently.

Luna swallowed hard and couldn’t bring herself to look away. Bucky gave her a little half-smile as he tentatively reached out to brush a stray piece of hair that had fallen out of her bun. When she didn’t flinch away, he couldn’t help smiling brighter at her. 

“You really are beautiful, Luna-anyone ever tell you that?” He asked softly.

She swallowed hard, breaking his gaze as she looked down at her hand still clasped tightly in his. She didn’t know how to respond to that in the slightest. Bucky let out a little sigh and she looked to him nervously. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable-“ He started.

Luna shook her head. “You aren’t-it’s just-I’ve only ever been called that by one other person before and-“ She swallowed past the lump in her throat as Bucky watched her, clearly waiting for her to continue.

“I don’t know if I believe it,” She whispered timidly.

Bucky smiled at her, slow and tender. “ _Little Moon-_ “ He murmured, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “You are beautiful, Luna. Inside and out-“ He told her.

She swallowed hard, averting her gaze once again; wishing and hoping that were true. She’d never felt pretty before, she never thought of herself as a beautiful woman. She’d thought Natasha and Wanda were gorgeous and she never really saw herself in that kind of way before. She wondered if she could ever really be beautiful inside and out like he said.

“Thank you,” She whispered after a beat and Bucky just continued to smile at her.

“Don’t need to thank me for telling you the truth,” He said lightly.

Before she could say anything else on the matter, the lights on the balcony were turning on and brightening around them. They both glanced towards them and Luna let out a little relieved breath. “I guess that means the power’s back on,” He said gently.

She nodded, “I guess it does.”

Bucky slowly released her hand and gave her a gentle smile. “Think you’ll come back inside and try and get some sleep?” He asked her.

She nodded, “Yeah. I think I will.”

Bucky smiled at her and stood up and soon they were standing across from one another at their separate bedroom doors. “Get some sleep,” Bucky murmured softly to her.

She smiled warmly at him, “You too, James.”

He simply nodded before letting himself back into his bedroom and shutting the door behind him. He heard Luna’s bedroom door close as she let herself into her room and he quietly walked back towards the bed where Steve and Tony were still curled up together. He slipped under the covers quietly and turned onto his side to regard the pair.

He let out a little sigh, “I know you’re awake, Stevie.”

Steve smiled sleepily, opening his eyes to meet his lover’s gaze. “Couldn’t sleep?” The blonde asked quietly.

Bucky nodded, “Got up and found Luna out on the balcony-Tony had scheduled a power outage for a bit while his systems updated I guess and she was gonna’ be left in the dark.”

“So you kept her company?” Steve asked sleepily.

Bucky nodded, cuddling up a little towards them and gently kissing Tony’s forehead as he slept peacefully between them. “Yeah-“ He whispered.

Steve smiled, letting his eyes drift shut as he yawned, “That was nice of you, Buck.”

Bucky huffed out a little breath, reaching out to rest his bionic hand against the blonde’s bicep. “Yeah-about that,” He started with a sigh. 

Steve hummed, not quite able to form words as he started drifting off to sleep once again. “Think I might be having a _teeny-tiny_ problem of my own,” He sighed, but Steve was already asleep.

Tony, however, simply chuckled sleepily and nuzzled further against his chest. “ _Teeny-tiny-_ as in-Mount Everest sized?” He yawned.

Bucky smiled, pressing his lips to the brunette’s messy hair. “Yeah, baby doll,” Bucky agreed.

Tony just huffed out a little sigh and nodded. “Sleep now-problem solve later,” He muttered.

Bucky chuckled lightly and nodded. “Alright, Tony,” He whispered, pressing a little closer to his lovers. 

 

Sadly, they never got around to having that problem solving session. Too afraid to think about what it might mean for their relationship, for their friendship with Luna and what their overall feelings meant. Tony had managed to wheedle his way out of the conversation by simply stating; “-but _feelings_ -“ in a rather unbecoming sort of whine.

To which the super-soldiers had given him a look and shrugged, as if that was an appropriate way to sum it all up. Typical men, if you’d asked anyone else about their problem. So nothing became of it and soon another week had came and went without any further developments. 

Luna had been spending a bit more time with Natasha and Wanda who were trying to help introduce her to the wonderful world of online shopping. She had expressed an interest in perhaps trying on jeans and leggings and things that were more form fitting and Natasha had jumped all over that. Natasha had insisted they order her an entire new wardrobe and Luna had to politely decline to let her do such a thing.

Wanda had been a helpful mediator and with Tony’s credit card somehow magically obtained, the three women had set out to spend an entire afternoon shopping online. When several rather large boxes had arrived and been sent up to the apartment, Luna had been beside herself with the sheer amount of things Natasha had managed to order for her, despite having Wanda try and dissuade her from overspending.

Clearly they’d gone a little overboard though. Not only did they order her jeans, pants, leggings and an assortment of tops; but they even went so far as to order her new bras, underwear, at least a half-dozen pairs of shoes and even a couple of dresses. Now that the young woman had all of the new clothes successfully put away in her closet and drawers, she didn’t know where to begin. 

“ _Shower-_ “ She decided with a little chuckle before heading into her bathroom to do just that.

When she came out not ten minutes later, she decided she was going to need help. “Jarvis? Think you could ask Wanda to come up and give me a hand?” She asked the AI.

“Of course, Miss Luna,” Jarvis replied and after a beat. “Miss Maximoff will be up in just a moment,” He continued.

Luna simply nodded and when the young woman had arrived not three minutes later, she was ready and eager to help. So they spent an hour or so with Luna trying on her clothes and shoes and the like and finally settled on an appropriate outfit to wear for their dinner and a movie night. 

She had settled on wearing a pair of dark blue wash jeans that she thought looked really nice. They were rather form fitting and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it just yet, but they weren’t like the skinny jeans she’d seen both Wanda and Natasha wear on occasion. She figured she wouldn’t have been comfortable in something like that, so they’d bought her a few pairs of boot cut jeans instead.

With her jeans chosen, Wanda had helped her pick out a 3/4length sleeved shirt in burgundy. It was a soft cashmere and Luna found herself wishing she could feel what it felt like against her hands as it slipped over her head and caressed her smooth skin. 

She adjusted the sleeves, making sure they were covering the joins of her arms where metal met skin before she pinned up her still damp hair in a haphazard bun and came out of the bathroom to show Wanda.

“Okay-what do you think?” She asked timidly.

Wanda turned around quickly, eager to see what she’d finally settled on. Her smile widened, “You look great, Luna. That colour really suits you.”

Luna’s cheeks heated a bit and she smiled, “Thank you.” 

Wanda simply smiled, but then she was reaching up and rubbing at her eyes, a tired look crossing her face. Luna didn’t miss it. “What’s the matter?” She asked worriedly, taking a step towards her friend.

Wanda sighed, “I haven’t been feeling that great today. I think I’m coming down with a cold or something.”

Luna frowned. “I’m sorry. Can I get you anything? I could make you some soup or tea?” She offered.

Wanda smiled and shook her head, “It’s okay, I’m alright. I think I may pass on dinner and a movie tonight though. Think I’d better just go and lay down and rest.”

Luna nodded, reluctant to let her go without at least having dinner, “Are you sure?”

Wanda simply nodded, “Yeah. Don’t worry about me, I’ll see you later; okay?”

Luna nodded, wishing her good bye and to feel better soon. She spent a few minutes in front of her mirror, just looking at herself after the woman left. She wasn’t sure how she felt without wearing her baggy clothes. She was nervous and had hoped that Wanda would be there to help support her when she went out to face the rest of the Team. 

She knew she didn’t need to worry, but she was still nervous about looking different to them. She let out a little sigh before she made her way out into the hallway and into the living room. She couldn’t hear the usual boisterous chatter of the rest of the Team and she wondered who was around. 

When she came into the kitchen, she was surprised to find only Steve and Bucky together dishing out dinner onto three plates. She smiled nervously as she approached them, rubbing at her elbow a bit. 

“Hey-“ She greeted softly. 

Bucky and Steve turned to her and it was comical really, the way they both cast a quick look over their shoulders and then were quickly doing a double take. In less than two seconds they were fully turning to look at her properly, food and dishes completely forgotten. 

"Uh-hey-" Bucky said absently, his eyes taking in her frame; apparently Wanda’s warning of, “try not to stare too much,” on her way out of their apartment had gone completely over their heads. 

Luna smiled nervously at him and Steve cleared his throat as he looked her over as inconspicuously as possible. "You look-" Steve started, completely forgetting his manners. "I mean-hi Luna. You look lovely," He told her in a rush. 

She smiled shyly and glanced to Bucky who had started nodding. "Yeah-that's a really pretty colour on you," He told her earnestly. 

"Thank you," She murmured softly as a rising blush crept across her cheeks. 

They smiled at her and then Steve was motioning towards the dishes of fish, rice and mixed vegetables, "I hope you don't mind, but it looks like it'll just be the three of us for dinner tonight.” 

"Yeah," Bucky agreed, still clearly stuck on her. "I mean-Bruce and Tony are doing the science-bros stuff and Clint and Nat were called out for a bit of a recon mission and Wanda-“ He continued.

"Isn't feeling well," Luna finished with a sigh. 

Bucky nodded, "Said she wanted to go back to her apartment and rest for the night." 

"Well, I don't mind it just being the three of us. I just hope she feels better soon,” Luna told them honestly.

Both Steve and Bucky nodded and soon they were all sitting down at the kitchen island together and enjoying their dinner. They chatted idly about their day and Luna opened up a little about the fact that the girls had helped her shop online for some new clothes the day before. They were both pleased she felt comfortable wearing something different and when she tried to steer the conversation onto something else, they didn’t fight her on it.

After dinner they tidied up their dishes and headed into the living room to settle in and pick a movie. They’d decided to watch a documentary this time, seeing as any time they’d ever tried to put one on with most of the others, they’d only gotten groans of disapproval. So here they were, settling in to watch a documentary on penguins; one that Bucky had wanted to watch for ages, apparently. 

Luna had laughed at his suggestion, remembering all the silly animal videos starring the flightless bird on YouTube that Tony and the girls had made her watch; but readily agreed that it might be fun. 

They all got comfortable on the large sofa together and Luna pulled down her hair from her bun and reached for the little basket of hair ties and brushes that Wanda had insisted she keep under the coffee table for their movie nights.

Wanda always loved brushing Luna’s hair for her and as she pulled out a hair brush and started bringing it through her long locks, she realized that it just didn’t feel the same. She _liked_ having Wanda brush her hair and play with it. She liked the closeness, the contact and Wanda was always so gentle and even went so far as to give her a back rub every time too. 

She smiled fondly at the memories she had of this and Bucky glanced to her as she let out a little sigh. “Everything okay?” Bucky asked her gently.

Luna smiled, looking to him. “Yeah-I was just thinking about Wanda, I hope she’s okay. It doesn’t feel the same, brushing my hair,” She said with a chuckle.

Bucky smiled at her, warm and sincere. “I could always brush your hair for you, if you like? I used to brush my sister’s hair all the time when I was younger,” He told her lightly, like it was no big deal.

And really, it wasn’t a big deal… _for him_. Luna swallowed hard, glancing to the brush now resting in her lap, her hand tightening around the handle. “I-you don’t have to do that, James,” She told him quietly.

Bucky’s gaze softened, “I know I don’t have to, but I’d like to. If you’d like that.”

Luna looked to him quietly, just holding his gaze as she thought about it. He just watched her, patiently waiting for her to say yes or no. She knew he wouldn’t push her, knew he wouldn’t force her to hurry up and make a decision either. He was so patient all the time with her, they all were. 

She nodded, just a bit, “Okay.”

He smiled at her, bright and beautiful and full of something she didn’t quite understand. “Here-“ He said softly, throwing a pillow down at his feet. “Make yourself comfortable. I promise to be real gentle,” He told her earnestly.

She nodded, handing him the brush as he reached out for it. She slipped off the edge of the couch and sat at his feet, careful not to rest back too far and risk touching his legs. He seemed to realize what she was doing and kept his legs spread on either side of her shoulders so that he wouldn’t touch her. 

He shifted, trying to get more comfortable and cast a glance towards Steve who was watching them with a huge smile on his face. Bucky couldn’t help casting him a nervous smile before he looked back to the woman in front of him. 

“Ready for me to start the film?” Steve asked gently.

“Go right ahead,” Bucky told him and Luna nodded in agreement.

Luna took a couple of deep breaths, trying to steady herself as she crossed her legs and made herself more comfortable. She let her hands rest idly in her lap as she heard Bucky shift on the couch behind her. She tried to calm herself as much as possible when she felt him gather her long hair and carefully start to brush out the ends.

She kept her gaze focused firmly ahead on the television screen as the documentary started up and it wasn’t long until Bucky was bringing the brush carefully through her hair from root to tip. He was gentle, just like he said he would be and he took his time, mindful of her ears and not dragging the brush over her scalp hard or anything. 

She’d never let anyone else brush her hair before other than Wanda. It’s not that she didn’t trust any of them with that, it’s just-Natasha if she asked, yes she’d let her-but the men? She wasn’t distrustful of any of the men that made up the Avengers. On the contrary, she trusted them more than anything. She knew they’d never harm her, but getting comfortable with the idea of them touching her in any way, was so foreign to her.

She still flinched around some of them if they got too close and she hadn’t been paying attention, but it was so infrequent that she never really thought about it. She’d always been careful with where she sat and how she interacted with them and no incident in particular had caused her or they any issues. _But still…_

She shifted, forcing herself to sit back a bit more. When she let her back rest against the couch, she felt Bucky’s legs shift as he scooted back a bit more to give her more room, however, this made his legs press in a little closer to her shoulders. She took a slightly shaky breath when she felt the inside of his thighs brush gently against her upper arms and she tried to relax.

She tried to distract herself by paying attention to the film, trying to convince her body that Bucky wasn’t about to hurt her. She managed for a few minutes, until she felt careful fingers sliding through her hair, brush having been abandoned on the sofa at Bucky’s side. “Your hair’s really soft,” Bucky murmured under his breath. 

She trembled hard and turned her head a bit to cast him a nervous glance. He was simply smiling at her as he continued to comb his flesh and blood fingers through her dark locks. She smiled nervously back at him before she turned her gaze towards the television once more. She closed her eyes for a moment and settled back against the couch, just trying to relax and enjoy the feeling of his hand in her hair.

They stayed like that for a while and Steve started talking about how cute he thought the penguins looked. Luna had happily agreed, as had Bucky and they all seemed to relax more with the light conversation. The lights had dimmed down a bit, courtesy of Jarvis and Luna was actually doing alright. 

She felt comfortable, at ease with Bucky playing with her hair like this. And really, he hadn’t stopped or made to pull away at all. He’d been playing with her hair for almost forty-five minutes now and she was enjoying it immensely. 

She had been so distracted by something the penguins were doing on screen and had been laughing lightly under her breath at the silliness of it, when Bucky’s flesh and blood hand had suddenly shifted from caressing her hair to settle against the back of her neck.

She froze, her laughter cutting itself short as she felt the warmth of his thumb caressing up from the topmost vertebrae and up into her hair. While the rest of his fingers curled lightly against the side of her neck where it met with her shoulder. 

She inhaled deeply, trying to stay calm as she felt the warmth of his hand just settling against her bared skin while his thumb idly caressed up and down the middle of the nape of her neck.

Bucky had been paying close attention to what he’d been doing the entire time he’d been playing with her hair and he was paying close attention to her now. He watched as she had acknowledge that he was touching her and gone completely still. She hadn’t tensed, nor had she flinched away from his touch and he wanted to give her time to adjust to the idea of him touching her soothingly like this.

He’d seen how much she’d enjoyed it when Wanda always gave her massages and he wondered if she would let him do the same for her. Steve was watching them out of the corner of his eye, breathing evenly as he watched Bucky’s hand settle against her. He swallowed hard and glanced over at his friend’s face to see if he could get a read on him, but Bucky was only focused on her at the moment.

Bucky didn’t do anything other than hold her like that for a little while, letting his fingers rest comfortably against her neck while his thumb stroked up and down slowly, reassuringly. When she seemed to relax a bit more after a couple minutes, he let his hand slip down along the back of her shoulder in a light massage. He let his thumb drag firmly against the edge of where her shirt met her skin and gave her a slow deliberate massage.

She trembled and tipped her head forwards a little, a shaky breath escaping her. Bucky smiled, feeling her relaxing even more for him. Tentatively, he brought his bionic hand up to rest very lightly against her left shoulder. He’d kept it pressed under his thigh for a while to warm up the metal in hopes that she would let him do this, so when he let it rest against her skin, she didn’t flinch from the touch.

Her breathing was coming out a little faster as he carefully started to knead the flesh with both of his hands in a gentle massage. Her head was bowed forwards, eyes closed and lips parted as she clutched at her shins crossed in front of her. 

Steve was so quiet, barely breathing as he openly stared at the pair. He was in awe at how easily she had given in and let Bucky touch her like this. He wished he could know what she was thinking, anything to let him know how she might be feeling. The only people that had gotten away with having any sort of physical contact with her had been Wanda and Tony and now Bucky had joined that very privileged few. 

He looked to his lover, a look of complete adoration gracing his features. Bucky was still intently focused on the young woman as he watched her. She was still trembling, but she seemed to be alright. That is, until Steve watched a tear escape the corner of her eye. 

“ _Buck-_ “ He said worriedly, shifting in his spot towards the edge of the couch. 

Bucky stilled immediately, looking to his lover in confusion. But when all Steve did was motion towards the young woman and then slide down off the couch to sit next to Luna, he was left feeling very concerned. He didn’t make to remove his hands from her, but he had stopped massaging her shoulders and was watching them both nervously.

“Luna-“ Steve whispered, turning to look at her properly. 

She didn’t move, didn’t blink or open her eyes. She just continued to breathe shakily as more tears escaped her. Her face was pinched up in what looked like pain and Steve let out a sad little noise in the back of his throat as he watched her worriedly. 

“Are you okay?” Bucky asked carefully, trying to see if he could get a proper look at her face, but from this angle he couldn’t quite do so.

“I-I’m fine,” She gasped, a sob catching in the back of her throat.

Bucky breathed out a curse, withdrawing his hands from her carefully. Steve frowned, deeply concerned. “What’s the matter?” Steve asked gently.

Luna shook her head, blinking hard to clear her vision of the hot tears that were trying to escape. She made the mistake of glancing towards the blonde and seeing his beautiful bright blue eyes shining back at her, filled with worry. “It’s just-“ She started haltingly.

Steve swallowed hard. “What is it?” He asked her in a whisper.

She reached up and hastily wiped away the tears that were streaming down her cheeks as she twisted to look at him properly. “Men have never been nice to me-“ She whispered as she wiped away her tears. “They’ve never touched me with such _kindness_ before,” She nearly whimpered, looking back at Bucky then.

Bucky swore that in that moment, his heart was breaking and Steve was sure his was as well. They looked to her with such sadness reflected in their eyes-their faces-and all she could do was sob in response. “ _Sweetheart-_ “ Steve breathed. 

She covered her mouth, trying to stifle the sobs that were trying to slip free and then Steve was opening his arms to her. “C’mere,” He urged.

And that was it-the moment when everything just fell apart for her. She sobbed brokenly, nearly throwing herself against him in a desperate hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him desperately as she buried her face against the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, calmly stroking her back as he held her tightly against his chest. 

“Hey- _hey-_ you’re okay, Luna. You’re okay-we’ve got you,” Steve murmured against her hair, unable to help himself as he pulled her even closer to him.

She was practically in his lap as he held her tightly against him. He murmured calming things to her, humming softly under his breath in hopes that it would help her calm down. He looked to Bucky from over her shoulder and the brunette looked just as wrecked as he felt. Bucky was watching them, having slipped down to sit on the floor where Luna had been just moments before. 

He looked so sad and fearful, angry even. Steve knew that the anger was for Hydra-for everything they’d ever done to her, to him-to everyone. Luna never deserved any of it-neither did Bucky or anyone else for that matter. Steve swallowed past the lump in his throat. He didn’t want to let the anger he was feeling well up and ruin this for them. He wanted to show Luna that they were there for her.

“ _Luna-_ “ He whispered. “You’re safe here with us-we’ll always be here to protect you. You deserve so much _kindness, happiness_ and _love_ -you deserve only good things, sweetheart,” He murmured, pressing a gentle kiss into her hair. 

She trembled harder and shifted back slightly and Steve let her pull back. He reached up to smooth back her hair as she blinked away the tears and met his gaze. “There you are, beautiful,” He whispered, letting his hands cup her cheeks and wipe the tears that had gathered there away. 

She was clutching at the front of his t-shirt and he gave her a watery smile as he let his hand drift down to caress the side of her neck. “There you go,” He murmured as her sobs turned into little hiccuping breaths.

She swallowed hard and let her gaze fall and settle upon where she was gripping his shirt. She slowly released her grip on him. “I-I’m sorry-“ She whispered, moving to pull away.

Steve quickly shook his head, “No-don’t apologize, Luna. You don’t have to be afraid of us.”

She shook her head, “I’m not afraid of you. It’s not that.”

Steve nodded, wanting her to continue. She shivered and swallowed hard. “Thank you for being so kind to me,” She whispered.

Steve frowned deeply. “ _Luna_ -being kind isn’t something you have to thank us for. You deserve to be treated like a human being. We would never treat you as anything less,” He told her firmly.

She nodded, still unable to break free of his gaze. “Do-do you think you could-“ She started nervously.

Steve smiled a little. “Anything you want, Luna,” He told her honestly.

She quickly averted her gaze. “The way you were holding me-it was so nice,” She breathed and it was barely audible.

The smiled that graced Steve’s lips in that moment was nothing short of spectacular. “C’mere…I’d happily hold you like that again,” He told her earnestly, his eyes sparkling something wonderful.

Luna smiled hesitantly before she let herself lean in a little closer and this time, Steve wrapped his arms around her and cradled her to his broad muscular chest. She melted against him and he slowly helped her sit between his spread legs as she tucked her head against his neck. Steve let out a little huff of a breath as he glanced over at Bucky who was staring at them in awe.

His eyes were so round and full of love and adoration for these two incredible people and all he wanted in that moment was to show them just how much he cared for them. “Think I could get in on this wonderful hug action?” He asked timidly.

Luna opened her eyes, not having realized she’d closed them at all. She looked to where Bucky now sat at the base of the couch not far from them and she smiled, reaching out to him with her free hand; the one that wasn’t currently tangled up in Steve’s too-tight-white t-shirt. 

Bucky smiled at her and shifted closer to them, taking her hand in his flesh and blood hand as he moved to drape his bionic arm around Steve’s shoulders. Luna held his hand tightly in hers as he got comfortable at their side and soon she was resting quietly against the blonde, her cheek pressed lightly against his chest. 

Bucky didn’t release his grasp on her, nor did she him. Steve was watching Bucky quietly as he observed the young woman in his arms, studying the rise and fall of her chest as she took deep slow breaths. 

After a little while, they realized she had fallen asleep and Bucky smiled warmly to himself as he released his grip on her hand and reached out and tucked a stray lock of her hair back behind her ear. Steve turned his head just so and kissed at his lover’s knuckles lightly, breathing out a careful breath. 

Bucky just smiled before reaching up and tracing his lover’s bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “You’re lovely, you know that?” Bucky said quietly.

Steve just smiled, closing his eyes for a beat as he listened to the steady breathing of the woman in his arms. “You know she wouldn’t be doing so well without your help, Buck,” Steve murmured.

Bucky huffed out a little breath and shook his head. “Nah, not just my help-everyone’s pulled together for her, Stevie,” Bucky told him.

Steve nodded, sighing a little as he let his hand slowly glide down the woman’s back in a soothing caress. “Should we put her to bed?” Steve asked after a beat.

Bucky shook his head, “Not just yet. I don’t want to risk wakin’ her up. She looks so peaceful.”

Steve smiled, glancing down at the young woman as she continued to sleep, obliviously unaware of their adoring glances. Steve simply nodded and watched as Bucky reached up to caress her hair. They stayed like that for a while, movie completely forgotten. Jarvis had helpfully turned it off at some point and they both didn’t even seem to realize. 

Bucky was leaning heavily against his lover’s shoulder as he looked down at Luna who was still sleeping peacefully in Steve’s arms, when the ding of the elevator could be heard from behind them. He lifted his head and turned at the same time as Steve to catch Tony slipping out of the elevator and looking around to see if anyone was still awake.

When the genius caught sight of them, he started towards them with a curious look on his face. “What are you guys-“ He started, only to cut himself short when he came to the side of the couch and took in the scene before him.

His lips parted, eyes widening in surprise as he approached them cautiously. Bucky just gave him a soft smile and Steve merely raised a finger to his lips in a gesture of quiet. Tony was at a loss. He stood there, completely dumbfounded as to how this had come about and of course he was unable to stay quiet for more than five seconds.

“Okay-now I’m _jealous-_ ” He huffed. “You guys are having a cuddle party without me,” He pouted, his bottom lip jutting out in the most exaggerated pout he’d ever given.

Steve couldn’t help chuckling softly at the adorable look. “Careful, you might trip over that,” Steve teased.

Tony couldn’t help smiling then, his pout dissolving. But then Luna was making a soft noise as she roused and they all looked to her. She blinked slowly as she came to and realized where she was. Her cheeks heated when she realized she was still being cradled in Steve’s warm embrace and she smiled nervously as she sat up a bit and looked up at him. 

He gave her a gentle smile as she then glanced to Bucky who was smiling just as sincerely at her. “I-I’m sorry I fell asleep,” She said softly.

Steve shook his head, “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad you were comfortable enough to do so.”

She smiled a little more at that, but then Tony huffed out a little breath and she nearly jumped when she realized that he was standing just off to their side. She looked to him in surprise and oh, that pout had returned with a _vengeance_.

“ _Tony-_ “ She said quickly, feeling very uncomfortable all of a sudden for being wrapped up in his lover’s arms.

“Next time you want to have a cuddle party, _please_ invite me? I love to cuddle too you know-hugs too-those are the best and let’s be honest here-” Tony sighed over dramatically, “Steve gives the best hugs, like- _ever_.”

Luna smiled, her nervousness quickly diminishing. “ _Cuddle party?_ ” She asked curiously.

Bucky chuckled softly and Tony just beamed at her. “Uh huh, they’re always a lot of fun. They usually involve pillows, lots of blankets, treats and of course, _cuddles-_ ” He said excitedly.

Luna smiled tentatively at him and nodded. “I’ll be sure to invite everyone next time…and I definitely want treats, blankets, pillows and especially cuddles,” She told him.

Tony just smiled warmly at her, “Definitely, love.”

Her lips parted, her brows drawing together in confusion. There was that word again; _love_. She swallowed hard and nodded, smiling gently at him as she started to withdraw from Steve. “I-I should head to bed,” She whispered.

Steve smiled softly and nodded, helping her steady herself as she got to her feet. Bucky and Steve were soon standing as well and Luna looked between the three of them a little nervously. “Thank you, Steve,” She said gently, looking up at the blonde with a little smile.

Steve just smiled back, “No reason to thank me, Luna.”

She nodded, her gaze shifting over his frame. She wanted to hug him again, to _be_ held by him again. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and took a tentative step towards him. “C-can I hug you again?” She asked timidly.

Steve smiled at her, warm and tender as he nodded, “Any time.”

She smiled nervously and casting her hesitation aside, she wrapped her arms around his middle and held him tight. Steve was quickly returning the embrace, rubbing his hands gently against her upper back and shoulders as he held her. 

They stayed like that for a moment, both just breathing deeply. They slowly broke apart and Luna smiled up at him before glancing to Bucky who was standing beside them, just watching with a fond expression on his face.

“Do I get one too?” He couldn’t help but ask.

Luna chuckled lightly under her breath and nodded, quickly moving to hug him. He smiled, bright and beautiful as he embraced her, holding her tightly against him. He closed his eyes and just let the warmth of her body rest against his as he gave her a little squeeze. She smiled against his good shoulder and he took a deep breath, just inhaling her natural scent. 

She slowly drew away from him and he was just so proud of her. The amount of physical contact she had let herself experience tonight was incredible. Even he hadn’t been able to reach this amount of physical contact with any of his Team for several months after returning to Steve. So of course he was incredibly proud of her for the progress she was making.

As she drew away from him, their hands falling to their sides as they observed one another for a beat, he gave her a little wink and inclined his head casually towards Tony who stood behind her watching his lover’s receive what looked like _amazing_ hugs. Now he was pouting for real and he tried so hard to hide it as she turned around to look at him.

He reached up to cover his mouth as he fake yawned and she couldn’t help smiling fondly at him. She didn’t even ask, nor did she hesitate in the slightest as she crossed the little space between them and slipped her arms around the genius’ neck, drawing him in close. 

Tony let out a slightly startled sound in the back of his throat as she hugged him. She was about the same height as him and so he rested his chin against the top of her shoulder and carefully wrapped his arms about her waist, hugging her against him.

Luna smiled, closing her eyes as she hugged him tightly. “Thank you,” She whispered against his ear. 

Tony swallowed hard, not really sure what to say to that. He didn’t think he’d done anything to warrant a thank you-not today at least. He smiled nervously as she started to draw back and he let his hands fall to his sides. “For what?” He asked in a whisper.

Luna just smiled, her nose scrunching up and eyes crinkling at the corners as she regarded him quietly for a moment. “For being you,” She said lightly as she started drawing away from the three men.

“Good night, Luna,” Steve said.

Bucky nodded, murmuring his good night as well as she started towards her bedroom. “Night,” She called softly over her shoulder as she turned away from them and disappeared out of sight.

The three just stood there quietly, no one meeting each other’s gazes as they tried to process what had just transpired between them. Bucky chanced looking back at Tony and with the movement, Steve’s gaze followed suit. And _wow_ …flustered was still an exceptionally good look on Tony Stark. 

Bucky couldn’t help smirking as he observed his lover and Steve let out a breathy chuckle. “ _What?_ ” Tony said defensively, immediately crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Steve smiled and Bucky rolled his eyes. “Nothing, Tony,” Steve said happily as he came over to rub at the brunette’s arms soothingly.

Tony huffed out a breath and nodded, glancing over at Bucky who was still smirking lightly at him. “Love you, doll,” Bucky cooed, giving him a little wink.

Tony rolled his eyes, letting his arms unfold and wrapping them around Steve’s waist. “Yeah-love you dorks too,” He muttered.

Steve chuckled and leaned in to kiss his forehead. “Come on, let’s head to bed. I can’t believe you’re actually up here at a reasonable time. I suspected you and Bruce to be at it until morning,” Steve confessed.

Tony sighed deeply. “Brucey told me to get lost, said I was being a nuisance. Apparently I’ve had too much coffee or something- _how_ that’s even _remotely_ possible, I don’t know,” He muttered with a shake of his head.

Bucky laughed and soon they were dragging him off towards their bedroom, chatting idly together. Just as they were heading into their bedroom, Tony let out a little sigh. “Luna looked really pretty today. I liked that colour on her-you think she knows I gave the girls my credit card?” He asked curiously as they walked inside.

Steve made a little surprised sound and Bucky grinned, his back to the genius. “You _willingly_ gave your credit card to Natasha? Are you feelin’ alright, Tony?” Steve asked incredulously.

Bucky laughed, striding towards the dresser as he pulled his shirt off over his head. Tony huffed out an amused laugh. “Yeah-yeah-I know. She was talking to Wanda about maybe ordering Luna some new clothes and I left my credit card sitting out; figured they’d make quick use of it-and besides, I found it back in my wallet this morning,” Tony told them with a little shrug.

Bucky rolled his eyes and Steve just smiled adoringly at his lover as he too started getting undressed. Soon the three were curling up together in bed and once the light was shut out with only the steady blue glow of Tony’s Arc Reactor lighting the space between them. Steve let out a little sigh, drawing Bucky against his side while Tony sprawled out half on top of his chest. 

“We’re screwed, aren’t we?” Steve said softly.

Bucky huffed out a breath and Tony scoffed. “Steve- _language_ ,” He admonished teasingly and the blonde rolled his eyes.

Bucky smiled into the darkness of their bedroom. “But in all seriousness,” Bucky said.

Tony and Steve both sighed heavily. “Totally screwed,” Tony agreed. 

“Thought so,” Steve muttered.

 

About a week later-and dozens of spontaneous hugs thereafter on Luna’s part-the Team was settling in to watch a movie together. Luna had been far more comfortable with physical contact since that night she had found herself in Steve’s warm embrace. She made sure to go out of her way to give everyone random hugs whenever she thought they could use a little cheering up or she thought that she could use some kind of physical comfort. It’d become the norm for her to greet everyone with a gentle hug and no one minded one bit.

Let it be known that the first time Luna hugged Wanda, she had cried and told the young woman that she appreciated all that she had done for her. Wanda had cried too and they had spent the rest of the afternoon curled up together on the sofa on the balcony enjoying the sunshine. 

So here they were, about to settle in and watch a movie together. Natasha had said that she wanted to see the new film _Passengers_ and Tony had managed to get a copy for them to watch. After everyone was settling in, Jarvis suddenly felt the need to interject.

“I am sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to warn you that this film may not be appropriate for Sergeant Barnes and yourself, Sir,” Jarvis told them gently.

“Ah-“ Tony said with a sigh, glancing towards his lover.

Bucky frowned, wondering what trigger it was this time. “Thanks, Jarvis,” Bucky mumbled, rising to his feet.

Luna watched curiously as Tony and Bucky stood and gave their reluctant goodbyes before they left the room. “I don’t understand,” Luna said softly as she made herself comfortable between Steve and Wanda. 

Steve glanced to her nervously and frowned a little and thankfully, Bruce decided to take this one. “There’s probably just a topic in the film that makes them uncomfortable. Jarvis tends to warn us if there’s ever something that might trigger us,” Bruce told her.

She nodded, wondering what it was that might make the two uncomfortable, however, she didn’t wonder for very long. “Probably the fact that the movie is set in deep space and they’re all asleep in some kind of cryo-chamber thingamajig-“ Clint sighed, reading out the synopsis on the screen.

Everyone stilled and Luna’s frown deepened. “I-I understand why James would be upset with the cryo-chamber, that makes perfect sense. But would Tony be upset with the deep space setting-or rather, _why_ would he be?” She asked curiously.

When no one said anything for a beat, she swallowed hard, glancing towards Steve. “I’m so sorry-that was terrible of me to pry-“ She rushed out, realizing her error; this was clearly something that no one wanted to talk about.

Steve shook his head, glancing over at her. “No, it’s okay. You’re curious, that’s all. Uh-unfortunately it’s not really something I want to talk about right now, I’m sorry-“ He told her earnestly.

She nodded, studying his expression for a moment. “Okay. I’m sorry, Steve. I hope I didn’t upset you,” She whispered.

He smiled gently at her and shook his head, “You didn’t. Don’t worry, they’ll find something fun to do together while we watch the movie.”

She nodded, glancing back towards the others who were smiling at her gently as they settled in. As Clint hit play, the lights dimmed a little and she glanced towards Wanda at her side. 

The young woman simply smiled and pushed some thoughts towards her; _I don’t know if it’s really right that I share what happened with you. I don’t know if it’s really my place-but I know it couldn’t really do any harm-so if you do still want to know another day, I’ll tell you what happened._ Luna simply nodded and let herself look back to the television as the movie started.

By the end of the film, Luna was completely beside herself. It had been a love story. A _love story_. She hadn’t the faintest idea what love was, but now she thought she understood at least some of it. She had so many questions she wanted to ask and as she stood up and went to get her tablet to make sure she could write down a few of them, Wanda regarded her curiously.

“Everything alright?” Wanda asked gently.

Luna nodded, blushing a little as she tapped away at her tablet. “Yeah-I just-I really liked that movie…I just wanted to write a couple things down,” She told her.

The others just smiled at her, pleased that she had enjoyed the film. Steve was regarding her quietly, wondering what she might want to write down about it and glanced to Wanda. But even Wanda seemed genuinely confused as well. 

“Well-I think we’re going to head off,” Clint sighed, getting to his feet and stretching.

Natasha nodded, smiling lightly as she watched him stretch, “Sounds good, Barton.”

He smiled at her and readjusted his shirt before the two were slipping off towards the elevator. Wanda and Bruce slowly got to their feet as well and started clearing away some of their empty mugs and candy wrappers. Wanda yawned and Steve let out a little chuckle. “Go on, get some sleep. I’ll finish tidying up-you too, Bruce. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Steve told them.

The pair nodded and murmured their good byes and Luna whispered her own good night to them as they stepped into the lift. Soon it was just Steve and Luna in the living room. The young woman had set her tablet aside in favour of helping the blonde clean up and Steve just smiled and thanked her.

“You going to head to bed?” Steve asked her gently.

She nodded, folding up a blanket and setting it on the back of the couch. “Yeah, I think so. I’m pretty tired,” She sighed.

Steve nodded and gave her a little smile. “I’m glad you enjoyed the movie. What-uh-what were you writing down about it?” He asked her curiously.

She shrugged a little, going to pick up her tablet. “Was just a bit curious about some things-“ She confessed.

“Can I help at all?” He asked, leaning over the back of the couch as he watched her. 

She was standing on the other side of the coffee table in front of the TV and she blinked a couple of times, trying to decide if she did want to ask him something. “I don’t know, maybe?” She said uncertainly.

Steve smiled, “What are you curious about exactly?”

Luna held the tablet to her chest a little and sighed softly. “I’m just confused-I mean…I don’t understand the concept of love very well…” She told him gently.

Steve’s gaze softened. “Love is all kinds of feelings. It means so many things to everyone,” He murmured.

She nodded, holding his gaze. “You love James and Tony,” She murmured and it wasn’t a question.

Steve smiled fondly at her. “I do love them, yes. But I also love all of my friends, you included,” Steve confessed.

“But it’s a different kind of love-“ She breathed in nothing more than a whisper; rather moved by the fact that he’d told her that he loved her too.

Steve nodded, giving her a warm smile. “It is. You can love your family, your friends, your pets, the way the Sun shines or a certain kind of food. Love is a feeling, a powerful emotion-at least, that’s how I think of it. It’s so difficult to explain,” He told her earnestly.

“Because it’s too many things,” She murmured.

“Exactly,” Steve said.

She nodded, clutching her tablet a little closer to her as she started towards their bedrooms. Steve gave her a gentle smile as they came towards their separate doors and she stopped, her hand on the door knob, but not opening it just yet. She heard Steve open his own door and she smiled nervously to herself before she spoke.

“I love all of my friends too…you included,” She told him in a gentle whisper.

Steve swallowed, momentarily frozen as he stood half in-half out of his bedroom. He could clearly see Tony and Bucky lying together in a tangled mess of limbs in their bed; the glow of Tony’s Arc Reactor illuminating their silhouettes in the darkness. He smiled and closed his eyes for a brief moment.

“I’m happy to hear that, Luna,” Steve whispered.

She smiled a little brighter and turned her door knob and as she stepped into her room, she murmured her good night to the blonde. Steve let himself into his own room and quietly closed the door behind him. Standing in the darkness for a moment, he simply looked upon his sleeping lover’s and wondered what love really meant for him and what love might mean for them…or for Luna.

 

A couple of days later Luna was sitting on one of the lazy-boy chairs in the living room with both Wanda and Natasha, just chatting and watching Friends reruns on TV. Luna was playing on her tablet idly while Wanda and Natasha went on and on arguing over which of the characters on the show was their favourite. 

Luna smiled softly to herself as she listened to them argue and was thoroughly distracted when a shirtless Bucky Barnes strode past the back of the couch the two women were sitting on and made a beeline for the kitchen.

“Stevie-I think you’re wearing my shirt, doll,” Bucky chuckled as he came towards the edge of the kitchen.

Steve turned around, fresh cup of coffee cradled in his hands and yeah, okay-his shirt looked a bit _too tight_ this morning. Luna couldn’t help smiling, her cheeks heating as she took in the sight of the solid expanse of the muscle in Bucky’s back as he moved.

Steve let out a laugh, setting his coffee mug down as he looked down at himself. “ _Whoops_ -guess I grabbed yours by mistake. Sorry, Buck. I thought it was a bit tighter than usual,” Steve chuckled, smiling fondly at his lover.

Bucky just shook his head in amusement and then in one quick motion, Steve was reaching for the back of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. Luna’s breath left her in a rush, watching as inch after inch of gorgeously toned abs and chest were exposed to her. 

A soft noise escaped her lips and she tried to cover it with a cough as she averted her gaze. Seeing the two men half naked was wreaking havoc on her stomach and she tried to distract herself with her tablet once again.

She could hear the two men laughing lightly with one another still and she chanced a glance towards them once more. Her cheeks were impossibly red as she watched Steve hand over the brunette’s shirt and Bucky just smiled up at him as he reached out with his metal hand and pressed it lightly against his left pec.

Her breath caught as Steve’s muscle jumped and she was sure goosebumps had spread across his skin. She blushed hotly and quickly looked away, only to meet with Natasha’s mischievous smirk and twinkling eyes. Luna ducked her head, trying not to fall into her stare but only succeeded in drawing Wanda’s attention. 

“Are you alright?” Wanda asked her gently, her brow furrowing in concern.

“Yeah-yes, I’m fine,” She replied quickly and then Natasha let out a little chuckle and inclined her head towards the kitchen where the two super-soldiers were still standing together.

Wanda’s gaze shifted towards them and then they were all looking as Tony strode out from the bedroom and caught sight of his lovers, both shirtless and caressing each other out in the open. Because Steve’s hands had moved to rest against the brunette’s hips, pulling him in close.

Wanda’s curious smile turned into a light smirk as Tony strode towards the soldiers and let out a little laugh. “Okay-not that I don’t appreciate the show, but is this really the place to be putting yourselves on such open display-I mean-I’m not exactly _complaining_ or anything,” Tony chuckled.

Steve laughed, his nose scrunching up adorably as he went to head towards his bedroom. “Fine-fine, I’ll put on a shirt-I grabbed Bucky’s by accident,” He told him with a smile.

Tony smirked and stopped him with a gentle hand against the middle of the blonde’s chest. “Kiss first,” Tony said.

Steve chuckled, shaking his head as he regarded the brunette fondly. “Of course, love,” Steve murmured before he leaned in and gave the genius a chaste kiss.

Tony beamed triumphantly and let the super-soldier start past him towards their bedroom before turning his sights on Bucky. “You too, soldier. I want a kiss,” He said and it was only with slight impatience.

Bucky shook his head in exasperation. “So _demanding-_ “ He muttered teasingly before he grabbed Tony by the back of his neck with his bionic hand and kissed him roughly. 

Tony let out a little breathy moan and thank goodness they were all the way across the room, because poor Luna let out a little hitching breath of her own as she watched them kiss deeply. But then Tony was pulling away and poking him in the chest a couple of times. “You- _quick_ -bedroom- _now-_ “ Tony breathed, glancing over his shoulder towards where Steve had disappeared.

“Before he puts on a shirt, preferably,” Tony said with a smirk as he started towards their bedroom.

Bucky laughed, bright and beautiful, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he nodded and watched the genius go. Just as Tony disappeared down the hallway, Bucky cast a quick glance towards Luna. 

Their gazes met and Luna really wished the floor would swallow her up in that instant. Because apparently she must have been heard, despite being half way across the room and _of course_ Wanda and Natasha had their gazes focused on the TV, pretending to be completely oblivious to the goings on in the room.

Bucky just smiled at her sweetly before he started after his lovers and poor Luna wasn’t sure what to make of any of that. She had an awfully tight grasp on her tablet and when she realized, she quickly set it down on the coffee table and cleared her throat.

To which, both Natasha and Wanda turned to look at her, giving her a set of way too knowing smirks. “That was fun,” Natasha said with a smirk.

Luna rolled her eyes, huffing out a breath. “It wasn’t-that was a private moment and I got caught staring,” She muttered.

Wanda laughed lightly and smiled at her, “I don’t think they’d mind, if it’s any consolation.”

Luna frowned, tilting her head as she observed the young woman curiously; not really sure what to make of that. “I just-I don’t know what’s _wrong_ with me,” Luna sighed.

Wanda’s brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?” Natasha asked curiously.

Luna sighed, reaching up and pinching the bridge of her nose. "I feel- _odd_ -whenever I see them together or just in general I guess-my stomach gets all tight and uncomfortable and I sometimes wonder if I'm getting sick or something-" She huffed. 

Natasha gave her a little smile, "Does it only happen when you're around one of them?" 

Luna shook her head, "No. It happens with all three of them-Tony will say something silly and I'll laugh and my stomach clenches or Steve will smile at me and I feel like I can't breathe or James-he'll just _look_ at me and my insides do this horrible flip and I feel like my heart is going to explode or something ridiculous,” She confessed. “Am I sick?” She asked nervously.

Wanda and Natasha shared a little half smile and shook their heads. "No, Luna. You're not sick. Can I ask you something?" Wanda started, shifting in her spot on the couch.

Luna simply nodded, looking to the woman for guidance. "How did you feel when you saw James and Steve shirtless?" Wanda questioned.

Luna shifted in her seat, thinking back to the way she’d felt when Bucky had walked by and then again to when Steve had taken off his shirt. She shook her head in frustration, “I don't know...my cheeks felt hot and I'm sure my heart had sped up-my stomach felt all fluttery too," She said worriedly. 

Natasha gave her a little lopsided smile and glanced to Wanda. "And you don't know why?" Wanda asked gently, ignoring Natasha’s side glance. 

Luna shook her head. "No-do _you_ know why?" She asked curiously. 

Wanda glanced nervously towards Natasha then. "You want to answer this one?" Wanda tried with sigh.

Natasha smirked and shook her head, "Nah, this is more fun." 

Wanda rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Luna, clearly not going to get any help from the red-head. “Okay-“ Wanda started. “It’s-it’s a bit difficult to explain, so bear with me-“ Wanda continued.

Luna simply nodded, shifting in her seat to get a little more comfortable as she watched the young woman. “Okay-so-“ Wanda started, taking a nervous breath. “I think what you’re feeling is a combination of things. Sexual attraction is one of those things-so the way your body responds when you see them doing things like kiss or touch intimately or being shirtless-for example,” Wanda told her. 

“ _Oh-_ “ Luna breathed, quickly averting her gaze as her cheeks flushed. 

“It’s a normal response-“ Wanda told her with a little smile tugging at her lips. “They’re good looking guys and really, it’s not a big deal.”

Luna nodded, but then she was just as quickly shaking her head. “I don’t understand though-I mean-I wouldn’t want to have sex with them, so why would I be sexually attracted to them?” She asked nervously.

Wanda frowned, clearly confused, “You _wouldn’t_ want to have sex with them?”

Natasha snorted, “Hell-even _I’d_ have sex with them-“

Wanda rolled her eyes, but tried to keep her attention focused on Luna. Luna was looking at Natasha nervously before she drew her gaze back towards Wanda and shook her head. “No-I don’t think I would want to…I like them as they are-I wouldn’t want them to do that to me,” She nearly whispered.

Now Wanda and Natasha were incredibly confused. “Okay-I’m confused-do _what_ to you?” Natasha asked curiously.

Luna averted her gaze and shook her head, “You _know_ …be angry with me and hurt me like that.”

And just like that, everything made sense. Wanda’s breath caught and she looked to Natasha nervously but the red-head was staring at Luna with such sadness and hurt in her eyes and for a moment, they just sat in stunned silence.

“ _Luna-_ “ Natasha murmured after a beat, shifting to the edge of the couch to be closer to the young woman.

Luna timidly met her gaze and was confused by the look Natasha was giving her, but before she could ask what was wrong, the older woman was speaking once again. “Sex is not supposed to be angry or hurtful- _no-_ “ Natasha said firmly. “What those Hydra assholes did to you-that’s your only point of reference, right?” She asked worriedly.

Luna frowned but nodded. Natasha took a deep and shaky breath and shook her head. “That was _not_ sex-that was _rape_ -“ Natasha breathed. 

Luna’s brows pinched up and she looked from Natasha to Wanda for confirmation, but Wanda was now looking at her hands and her eyes looked watery. She swallowed hard and met Natasha’s gaze once again. 

“What they did to you, Luna-was unforgivable. That isn’t what sex is-it’s not like that at all. It’s about giving explicit consent by everyone involved. _You_ have a say. If you want it and the other person does too and it’s explicitly stated; _that’s_ consent. You didn’t have a say during any of those times, did you?” Natasha asked, already knowing what the answer would be.

Luna nodded curtly, “I had no say-“

Natasha nodded, swallowing hard, “Sex is supposed to be enjoyable and be between people who love each other; it isn’t supposed to be angry or hurtful or forced upon you or the other person involved.”

Luna was holding back tears of her own now at the mention of the word love. “People who love each other-like in that movie-the couple; they were in love and they-“ She choked off, unable to finish.

She hadn’t understood what had happened in those scenes where they were naked in bed together but now she thought they may have been having sex, even though nothing was shown in detail. She blinked hard, trying to keep her tears at bay. 

Natasha nodded. “Yeah, the movie from the other night? They were going to have sex; they were being intimate together before the scenes cut out,” Natasha told her gently.

Luna nodded, looking to Wanda who was now looking at her with a sad sort of understanding in her eyes. “Sex is supposed to be enjoyable?” She asked timidly.

Wanda just nodded and looked towards Natasha for guidance. “It is-“ Natasha said with a gentle smile.

Luna swallowed. “I don’t understand how it could be,” She confessed.

Natasha’s smile softened and she nodded, “That’s understandable, you’v never had sex with someone you’re in love with.”

“I don’t think I know what love is, really-“ Luna murmured and looked to them both. “Steve tried to explain it to me…but he said it’s complicated-a lot of feelings and emotions are involved and there are different kinds of love,” She said with a sigh. 

Wanda smiled, warm and sincere. “Yeah, there are a lot of different kinds of love,” She agreed.

Natasha nodded, “But you know that fluttering you said you kept feeling in your stomach?”

Luna looked to her quickly, very nervous all of a sudden. “Is that love?” She asked quietly.

Natasha smiled softly, “It might be. Unfortunately only you’ll know if it is. If it isn’t-it might just be arousal, but I’m willing to bet that it’s at least a little bit of love.”

Luna swallowed past the lump in her throat, “But I thought arousal was only something men could have-“

Natasha huffed out a pained breath and looked to Wanda. “You sure you want to be here for this discussion?” Natasha asked the young woman with a raised eye brow.

Wanda rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I’m an adult, you know-“ She muttered.

Natasha just smirked and turned her attention back to Luna. “No-arousal is most definitely not something that only men have. Women experience it too, so do nearly all animals. Arousal is part attraction, a lot of times love-a desire to want to be with someone intimately and perhaps have sex with that person,” Natasha told her gently.

Luna nodded, listening intently. “So when you saw James and Steve shirtless earlier-did you feel excited?” Natasha asked.

Luna frowned a little, “Excited how? Happy to see them like that?”

Natasha’s lips quirked up in a little half smile. “Sort of? I mean, did you feel your body heat up or anything between your legs start to take notice of them?” She asked cryptically.

Luna shifted in her seat, cocking her head slightly as she regarded the red-head. “I-I don’t know-“ She started nervously, averting her gaze as she thought about how her body had felt when she saw the two men.

Which led her to think about them again and the way their exposed skin had looked, their hard lines of muscle and the way Bucky had touched his lover so tenderly. She swallowed hard, closing her eyes as she let herself think about it a little more. She thought about the way they looked at each other, the way Steve had kissed Tony and then the way Bucky had kissed the brunette. 

Her eyes snapped open as a little breath left her and she felt heat pool low in her belly and spread through nearly every limb. She took a shaky breath and looked to Natasha nervously. “I’ll take that as a yes,” Natasha said with a slight quirk of her lips.

Luna’s cheeks heated and she nodded. “That’s what arousal is like-being turned on or aroused by something or someone. You were attracted to them- _are-_ attracted to them,” Natasha continued.

Luna frowned then. “But they’re in love with each other-isn’t that wrong of me to be attracted to them-to be aroused by them?” She asked curiously.

Natasha shrugged. “Is it hurting anyone if you take pleasure in seeing them together or admire the way their bodies look?” Natasha asked lightly.

“I-I guess not-“ Luna murmured, still not quite feeling right about it.

Wanda let out a little sigh and Luna looked to her quietly for a beat. “Okay-I have to ask, because I think I’ll cry if I find out you haven’t-“ Wanda started nervously.

Luna and Natasha looked to her curiously. “Ask what?” Luna prompted.

Wanda took a deep breath and glanced to Natasha before letting her gaze settle back on Luna. “Have you ever pleasured yourself before?” Wanda asked tentatively.

Luna’s brows drew together in a little furrow of confusion and both Natasha and Wanda groaned in unison. “ _Oh dear God-_ “ Wanda breathed in frustration.

Natasha muttered something in Russian that had Luna’s brows shooting up into her hairline as she looked to the two women curiously. “ _Okay-_ “ Natasha started. “You’ve got homework to do-“ Natasha sighed.

Luna regarded them curiously before Natasha was going in to a very detailed explanation of what homework was in the first place and what she needed to do for said homework. So of course, later that night when Luna lay awake staring at the ceiling in the comfort of her dimly lit bedroom, she let her mind wander; just like Natasha had told her to do.

She let herself think about all the things that she thought might be arousing, even though she didn’t completely understand what arousal was. She swallowed hard, pushing her blankets off her, already too warm anyway. Lying quietly in her bed, she let her eyes close as she tried to picture Steve’s beautiful smile and warm laughter; the way his eyes sparkled when he was happy about something.

She let her mind wander to thoughts of the way she’d seen the blonde look to Bucky when they were curled up on the couch together just watching TV and the little smile he’d give him that was clearly just meant for him. Love-that had been the emotion she’d seen reflected in his eyes when he looked at both Bucky and Tony. 

She understood that now and it made her smile a little bigger. She thought about the way Bucky would tease Tony, withholding his morning coffee from him so that he could steal a kiss from the genius. Only to then tell him he had awful morning breath and take a sip of his coffee and say something along the lines of; ‘oh this is _much_ better than your kisses.’ To which Tony would scoff and steal his cup of coffee, giving him a playful glare. 

She liked that look in Tony’s eyes when he looked to his lover like that and Bucky’s gaze too-he looked like he was enjoying getting Tony all riled up and indignant. She blushed a little, wondering what it would be like to get Tony all riled up like that and have his playful eyes turn on her. 

She inhaled sharply at the little spark of pleasure that rushed through her at the thought of him looking to her like that and she blinked hard for a moment as she tried to let the feeling settle. Heat pooled low in her belly and she swallowed hard as she tried to think about other things that might prompt that same feeling.

She thought about the way the three shared kisses so casually, hugs too. She thought about how seeing them kiss made her feel and she let out a soft moan as a pleasant ache started between her legs. She couldn’t help trailing her fingertips down from between her breasts to her stomach. She drew little shapes against her skin and shivered as goosebumps spread across her like wildfire.

Her thoughts continued to shift towards more intimate acts she’d seen them share together, like earlier in the kitchen together. The way Bucky had caressed his lover’s chest with his bionic hand and looked into his lover’s eyes. Steve had looked so calm, so in love as he gazed back at the brunette. She swallowed hard and thought about Tony and Bucky’s heated kiss and her breath caught in her throat.

She started to tremble as she let her hand trail further still, thinking about how Natasha told her to touch herself there too. She let her free hand gently grasp her right breast and she breathed out shakily as the cool metal met with her heated skin. 

_What would it be like to kiss them? To be kissed by them._ She wondered, shifting a little and letting her legs slip open a bit more. Her fingertips reached between her legs and she timidly pressed her fingers against herself, blushing deeply as she started to gently caress her folds. 

She breathed out a little sigh and let her eyes drift shut again as she wondered what it would be like to be loved by them- _all_ three of them. She was trembling as she slipped her middle finger between her lips as she parted them and gasped out softly as she dragged the wetness that had gathered there along her folds. 

She couldn’t feel the warmth of her wetness or even the fact that she was wet-not exactly-but she could tell that the slide felt smoother, slicker. She trembled harder and shifted her hips as her fingertip trailed lightly against her clit and she nearly cried out; only just managing to cut the sound short as she clamped the hand that had been caressing her breast over her mouth.

She whimpered against her palm, breathing shakily as her fingers started to slide against that wonderful little spot. She let her fingers rub against her folds a little firmer, a little faster and soon she was struggling to keep her sounds to a minimum. 

She hoped no one could hear her; it had been late when she went to bed and even after climbing under the covers, she hadn’t wanted to start touching herself until she was sure everyone else was asleep.

But now she was sure that if she uncovered her mouth, everyone would hear her. She whimpered, pressing her palm against her mouth a little harder to stifle the sounds as she let her other hand continue to pleasure herself.

Her thoughts flitted from one thing to the next and constantly kept returning to the way it felt to hug the three men, to have them close to her-to have their arms wrapped tightly around her in a warm embrace. She trembled hard, her back arching from the bed as her hand moved faster against her clit. 

She was lost in a pleasure filled haze and she couldn’t stop herself from chasing after whatever this incredible feeling was. She turned her head to the side and folded her pillow over her face as she tried to stifle the sounds she was making. It wasn’t long before the pleasure seemed to start to overwhelm her and she struggled to continue-unsure of what the feeling was. 

But the second she backed off, she was nearly shouting her frustration into the pillow and she quickly started touching herself again. She shuddered, her entire body locking up as her pleasure crested and she came hard. Whimpering loudly, she turned onto her side, closing her legs tightly together as she continued to rub at her clit as she rode out her orgasm, her breathing coming in harsh pants into the pillow.

Her hand stilled after a moment and she trembled hard as she slowly started to come down from her high. She withdrew her hand and was barely able to draw the blankets up over her trembling form. As she laid there, curled up on her side, safely tucked beneath her blankets; she couldn’t help wondering what it might be like to experience whatever that had been _with_ them; the men she so clearly adored and yes- _loved_.

Even if she didn’t understand exactly what love all entailed, she was pretty sure that’s what she felt towards them. She liked them in every way possible and the thought of losing any of them, of being apart from any of them for too long-it was too much to even think about. She wanted to be with them, _always._

Wanda and Natasha had tried to explain the concept of polyamory to her, but she had been completely distracted with thoughts of what Natasha had described earlier when she had been talking about how to pleasure herself. Now, she wished she had paid more attention. She wondered if they could or would ever love her like that.

Wanda had later hinted that-after Natasha had left them for the evening-Steve, Bucky and Tony did love her in a more than just a friendly sort of way and that had confused her greatly. But when she had tried to continue the conversation-they’d had to stop because Tony made an appearance looking rather dishevelled and incredibly pleased with himself.

So their conversation had stopped and Wanda had slipped out of the apartment with a little wink to her and a wave to an oblivious Tony. So here she was, wrapped up in bed by herself; feeling relaxed and curious and slightly apprehensive in regards to the idea of the three men who had helped her through so much and the fact that they actually may be _in love with her._

And that- _that-_ was a thought she wasn’t sure she could handle at the moment. Loving her as a friend was a new enough thing for her and not completely understanding what love entailed wasn’t helping matters either. She sighed, her eyes drifting shut; despite her wandering thoughts, she did feel good. 

Bringing herself pleasure like that had felt good and she would have to remember to thank both Natasha and Wanda for opening her eyes to something so pleasurable. She smiled faintly at the thought and curled up a little more, murmuring a good night to Jarvis absentmindedly. The AI simply dimmed the lights a little more after he was sure she had drifted off to sleep.

 

A couple days later, Luna found herself sitting at the edge of her bed watching Wanda sift through her closet. “Why haven’t you worn any of your dresses yet?” Wanda asked her curiously.

Luna shrugged a little. “They’re for special occasions, right?” Luna asked.

Wanda chuckled softly and smiled. “They don’t have to be for special occasions-you can wear them whenever you like-actually; I never even saw you try them on,” Wanda said, pulling out a navy blue dress.

Luna smiled shyly, “You think I should?”

Wanda nodded, holding out the dress. “Please? Just for me?” Wanda asked, batting her eyelashes.

Luna laughed, smiling fondly at her friend. “Okay, just for you-“ She conceded, rising to her feet as she came over to take the dress from her.

Wanda beamed at her and took up her place at the edge of the bed while Luna disappeared into the bathroom to change out of her clothes and into the dress. “Oh-“ Luna started from the other side of the door. “Do you think you could share with me what you mentioned the other night? About why deep space might upset Tony?” She asked curiously.

Wanda let out a little sigh and nodded, “I can. It’s a bit difficult to talk about, and you’re probably never going to hear it from any of them and I know you’re only asking because you genuinely care and want to understand where he’s coming from.”

Luna nodded, slipping the dress on over her head. It was a rather form fitting dress that ended just above her knees. The material was nothing more than a cotton blend, nothing too fancy, but it was comfortable and could easily be dressed up or down with the right shoes or accessories. 

It was a little more low cut than she thought she’d like, but it didn’t show off any cleavage. It was a scooped neckline that formed perfectly just below her collarbones and had 3/4length sleeves that covered her arms and didn’t expose the scarring around her metal forearms. 

She let out a sigh as she readjusted the fabric so that it sat properly on her more curvy frame and opened the door into her bedroom. “You’re right-I do care about him and I want to understand so that I don’t do or say something that might upset him,” Luna told her.

Wanda smiled at her and nodded, taking her in. “You look lovely, Luna. That’s such a pretty colour on you,” Wanda told her earnestly.

Luna just smiled and went towards the mirror of her closet door to look at her reflection. “Thank you,” She murmured.

Wanda just smiled before she let out a little sigh. “So-deep space-not a good topic for Tony,” She started. 

Luna nodded, turning her attention back to the young woman. “He uh-he had a bit of a run in with a friend’s brother…he opened up this worm hole to another planet thing and well-to make a long story short-Tony flew a bomb back up into the worm hole in hopes of destroying the army on the other side-“ Wanda sighed.

Luna stared at her in surprise. “He went into space?” She asked incredulously.

“Yeah-I mean-it’s all really confusing-but what’s worse was that he was doing it and he knew that he probably wasn’t going to make it back, because the portal was closing-“ Wanda said with a deep frown. 

Luna stared at her in complete silence, a look of absolute shock on her face. “His suit failed him and though he made it through the worm hole, he wasn’t going to be able to make it back-at least-that’s what he and the rest of us thought,” Wanda said with a frown.

“But he’s _here-_ “ Luna breathed in barely a whisper.

Wanda nodded quickly. “He is-his suit went offline and he fell and he _just_ managed to slip past the doorway into our world before the portal closed-he barely made it and they thought he was dead; never let it be said that Tony Stark doesn’t have a heart,” Wanda said with a huff.

“He woke up though, surrounded by his friends and-“ Wanda cut herself short, taking in the odd expression Luna was wearing.

“What’s the matter?” Wanda asked her worriedly.

“Of all the _idiotic_ things to do-“ She muttered under her breath, completely beside herself.

Wanda huffed out laugh. “Yeah, even I’ll admit he was a real idiot for doing what he did-but he’s a selfless idiot that was doing what he thought was right-“ Wanda told her earnestly.

Luna shook her head in frustration. “I can’t believe he would be so _reckless-_ “ She breathed.

Wanda couldn’t help laughing. “You think _that’s_ bad?” She asked with a smirk.

Luna looked to her curiously, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she regarded the woman. “Sure, that was bad-but _Steve’s_ done his fair share of stupid stuff too,” Wanda told her.

Luna’s eyes widened, “ _Like what?_ ”

Wanda shrugged, “I believe the current count for how many times he’s jumped out of a plane without a parachute is 9.”

Luna let out a startled sound as she shook her head, completely beside herself. “ _You’re kidding me-_ ” She said in exasperation. 

Wanda chuckled and shook her head, “ _Nope_ -and James is no better-did you know he tried to rip off his own arm when he first came back to Steve? He said he didn’t want to bring anyone else more pain and that he’d sooner die than see another soul die by his hand.”

Luna was frowning deeply, her brows knit together tightly as she regarded the young woman. “Steve and Tony made him see that it was never truly his hand that had killed all those people-he was controlled by Hydra; he didn’t have a choice in the matter. It took _months_ for Bucky to stop trying to remove it and it was only after Steve had _shown_ him just how much he loved him even with his arm the way it is now, that he finally broke down and accepted that it was a part of him.”

Luna was in complete shock. She had no idea how to take all of this information, how to handle it in the least. She swallowed hard. “How many times did Steve jump out of a plane without a parachute again?” Luna muttered, her eyes narrowing. 

Wanda’s brows creased, but she responded all the same. “9 Times, to my knowledge-and I know it doesn’t exactly count-but he did also crash a plane that one time and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t wearing a parachute then either-mind you-it’s not like it was going to help-but you know-he was trying to save everyone from Schmidt, so I’ll give him that one-“ Wanda said with a huff as she rolled her eyes. 

Luna took a deep, calming breath that still managed to come out slightly shaky as she closed her eyes. Wanda regarded her curiously for a beat. “Should I not have shared all that with you?” Wanda asked timidly.

Luna slowly opened her eyes and looked over at the young woman. “I’m really glad you did- _now_ -if you’ll excuse me for just a moment-“ Luna said calmly as she strode towards the door.

Wanda got up, curiously following after her. “ _Wait_ -where are you going?” Wanda asked nervously.

Luna cast a quick glance over her shoulder as she stepped out into the hall. “I need to have a little chat with the idiots-“ She muttered darkly.

Wanda’s eyes widened, her brows shooting up into her hairline in surprise. Luna looked angry- _no_ -she looked _pissed._ Wanda quickly followed her out of the bedroom and down the hall and when they came out into the living room, Luna’s eyes scanned the apartment for the aforementioned idiots.

When she caught sight of Steve standing at the kitchen island reading a newspaper with a cup of coffee in hand, her eyes narrowed as she zeroed in on him. She strode towards him with purpose, her back rigid and shoulders set and a look of clear determination settled across her features.

“ _Steve-_ “ She said sharply, her tone clipped with warning.

The blonde looked to her, a smile forming on his lips, but then his expression turned curious; his eyes widening in surprise as he took in her frame and the absolutely _terrifying_ look on her face as she-quite literally- _stared him down._ He set his mug down quickly, turning to look at her properly. He even found himself taking a few tentative steps back from her as she rounded the kitchen island towards him. 

“ _What-_ “ He started nervously but she glared hotly at him and he shut himself up.

She came right up into his space and reached up, poking him roughly in the centre of his chest. He didn’t flinch, simply stared at her in shock, eyes wide and lips parted in surprise as she started pushing him firmly backwards with that one finger pressed against the middle of his chest. 

When his back hit the refrigerator, he stopped with no where else to go and she glowered at him in anger. “ _You idiot-_ “ She breathed. 

Steve’s brows knit together, wondering what the hell he’d done this time to see this side of her; granted-whatever it was, he knew he probably deserved it. “You _stupid_ _idiot_ -you goddamn _reckless idiot_ -“ She said and she was positively _seething._

He swallowed hard, unable to form any words as he took in the gorgeous sight of this woman who was clearly angry with him and; _boy does she look beautiful when she’s angry and that blue dress sure is lovely on her._ He thought vaguely as he blinked in confusion.

“ _9 Times?_ ” She asked incredulously, her lips drawn in a thin line as she observed him.

Steve finally managed to get his head in the game and he successfully managed to blurt, “ _What?_ ”

She huffed at him in annoyance. “9 Times you’ve jumped out of a plane _without a parachute-_ “ She said angrily.

O _h-that sounds about right._ Steve thought absently. “Uh-“ He managed.

She shook her head at him, clearly unimpressed. “You’re an _idiot_ , Rogers-I can’t believe you would ever risk your life like that-and let’s not forget the time you _crashed_ _a plane_ to prevent those bombs from reaching their target-“ She continued, her tone still incredibly dangerous.

Steve swallowed hard and was about to interject or defend himself or _something,_ when Bucky suddenly let out a little laugh from somewhere behind them. “And don’t forget the time you had Howard drop you into enemy territory to rescue my sorry ass-“ Bucky helpfully reminded them.

Luna rounded on him, her heated gaze immediately finding him and boring into him. His laughter died in his throat when her anger seemed to settle on him and he swallowed hard as she started advancing on him; Steve apparently completely forgotten for a moment. 

“And _you-_ “ She breathed, stepping into his personal space; not quite touching, simply making her presence felt.

Bucky inhaled sharply as she forced him to take a step back and effectively managed to bump into the countertop by the stove. “You’re an idiot too, _James-_ “ She breathed, glaring hotly at him. 

He swallowed hard, wondering what he might have done to warrant that, but really; he knew he probably deserved it. Her gaze shifted towards his metal arm, from the top of his shoulder where it hid beneath his black t-shirt, all the way to the tips of his fingers. He stayed perfectly still as she raised one of her own bionic hands and slowly pressed her palm against his bicep. 

“You tried to tear it off-“ She said lowly and it wasn’t a question. 

He swallowed past the lump in his throat and barely managed to nod. “You _idiot-_ “ She whispered, losing some of her anger as her fingertips trailed down the length of his arm and back up again; pushing up the sleeve of his shirt to touch the edge of his shoulder

He shifted his weight a little and her gaze flashed back up to meet his eyes. “This is a part of you-you _own_ this now-how could you think you were _ever_ responsible for those lives? _They_ made you do those things, James-it was never truly you-y _ou have to know that_ -“ She insisted.

Bucky nodded a little. “I do know that now,” He said meekly.

She nodded curtly and her gaze softened just a little. “ _Good-_ “ She murmured.

But then Tony had to go and open his big mouth from the edge of the kitchen, having taken in the whole scene from the comfort of the couch. He had gotten up so fast when he had first gotten a look at Luna in all her righteous fury laying into Steve. 

“ _Wow_ -gotta’ say-never thought you’d be the type to call them out on their bullshit, Luna-I definitely applaud-“ He said with a chuckle as he clapped his hands together.

When she turned on him next, he couldn’t keep the surprise off his face. His eyes widening and lips parting and he was sure his eyebrows were up into his hairline. His clapping died off, his hands falling to his sides as she started towards him.

“ _Tony-_ “ She said, and she was absolutely livid; anger having returned in full force. “You’re one to talk-you’re just as bad as they are- _worse_ even-“ She told him, coming right up to him.

She pressed her palm flat against his chest, directly below where she knew his Arc Reactor sat and he swallowed past the awfully large lump that had lodged its way into his throat. “W-what did I do?” He asked nervously, taking a tentative step backwards; she followed.

“You’re probably the _biggest_ idiot I know-“ She said earnestly, but it was clearly laced with fondness. 

Tony huffed, not really sure how to take that but she glowered angrily at the sound and he quickly shut up. “You flew a _bomb_ through a portal into _space_ and you didn’t think you’d be coming back-“ She breathed, still pressing her hand firmly against his chest.

“Oh- _that-_ “ He mumbled weakly. 

“Yes- _that-_ “ She said angrily and when he went to try and defend himself-she honest to God- _growled._

Tony’s eyes widened even more so at the sound and the utterly captivating way she was looking at him. He swallowed hard and wondered if he should chance a glance at either of his lovers; he decided against it so as to not incur more of her wrath. 

“You’re an _idiot_ , Tony _-a reckless-selfless-idiot_ -“ She said, punctuating each word with a deliberate press of her hand against his chest.

He had no choice but to let himself be pushed backwards and; _oh, would you look at that?_ _There’s the couch-_ Tony thought absently as the backs of this legs hit the armrest of the sofa. He couldn’t tear his gaze from her, she looked so gorgeous and sure of herself; so full of anger and concern and… _love?_

Tony blinked, finally understanding what this was all about. She must have heard all of this from someone and had been so thoroughly unimpressed with their shit-this was _concern_ , this was _protectiveness_ -this was _love_.

“ _Luna-_ “ He tried weakly only to be shut down once more.

“ _Don’t-_ “ She said firmly, pressing in closer to him and now she was nearly pressed up against him. 

“You have a heart, Tony Stark…and I know because I’ve _seen it_ -it’s _beautiful_ and _big_ and _bright_ and so full of _love-_ for your friends-for James and Steve-“ She told him, her voice softening just a touch.

He smiled at her gently, his gaze softening as some of his earlier apprehension disappeared. “Love _for you_ -“ He murmured.

Luna froze, her hand still pressed against his chest nestled carefully beneath the Arc Reactor. She swallowed hard as she looked into his beautiful brown eyes with wide eyes of her own. 

“For me-?“ She repeated in a timid whisper.

“ _Yes-_ “ Tony managed, his gaze shifting from her gorgeously expressive grey eyes to the lovely pink of her lips; so full and parted in genuine surprise.

She let out a little breath when she realized where his gaze had shifted and he drew his gaze back up to focus on her wide eyes. But now her gaze was shifting to take in the plumpness of his lips and the curve of his cupid’s bow, the pout of his lower lip. 

Her brows drew together as she struggled with thoughts of what to do or say and she took a shaky breath as she let her gaze shift back towards his beautiful brown eyes. “ _Kiss me_ -“ She breathed.

Tony let out a happy little noise in the back of his throat and he didn’t even hesitate. He reached out and cupped the side of her neck as he leaned in and closed that short distance between them, pressing his lips tenderly against hers.

She couldn’t help the shaky exhale against his lips as he kissed her and for a moment, she did nothing but allow the feeling of his lips to settle against her own. She tentatively pressed her lips back against his and returned the kiss and he let out a soft breath before his other hand was coming up and caressing her shoulder.

He didn’t move to deepen the kiss, just keeping it a light press of lips as they both got used to the feeling. Luna could feel the scratch of his goatee against her chin and she couldn’t help the little shiver that ran through her at the feeling. _She loved i_ t-but then she seemed to remember herself and pulled away, breaking the kiss hurriedly.

She stumbled backwards and Tony reached out to steady her, grasping her wrist gently. She gasped out in surprise, Tony just managing to keep her from falling. But her eyes were wide and she looked frantically around as she pulled herself free of his grasp to see all three men looking at her with clear worry reflected in their eyes.

She reached up and pressed her fingers to her lips, still feeling the lingering tingling from Tony’s kiss. “ _I’m so sorry-_ “ She nearly whimpered, tears springing to her eyes.

“ _Hey-_ “ Tony started worriedly. “Don’t apologize, love. What’s the matter?” He tried and both Steve and Bucky took a few tentative steps towards her.

She recoiled and moved to the other side of the couch, shaking her head quickly. “I’m sorry-I shouldn’t-I shouldn’t have kissed you-I’m _so sorry_ , Tony-“ She said quickly.

Tony shook his head. “No, no- _Luna-_ I _wanted_ to kiss you-it’s okay,” He told her earnestly.

Bucky and Steve nodded and she glanced to them nervously. “But-you love them-I can’t-I can’t be a part of that-you’re all _perfect_ for each other-“ She said hurriedly.

Tony smiled a little and nodded. “Yeah, we love each other-but I know I love you and I know they love you just as much-“ Tony told her gently.

She swallowed hard, her gaze flickering between the three. “Y-you do?” She asked hopefully, her heart leaping practically into her throat. 

Steve smiled, meeting her gaze. “I’ve loved you for a while, Luna. Just didn’t know how to properly tell you,” He confessed.

Luna inhaled deeply as she started to tremble where she stood. She looked to Bucky nervously as he cleared his throat, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck nervously. “I’m guilty of that as well, I’ll be honest-“ He said gently, giving her a little lopsided smile. “Been in love with you since you told me you liked it when I called you _little Moon,_ ” He whispered.

A little pained sound caught in the back of her throat and she tried to stifle it as she shook her head. “I-I don’t know what love is-I don’t understand it-is this what it is? To feel _so much-so strongly?_ ” She asked, and she sounded so afraid.

Steve smiled at her gently. “It’s a lot of feelings, Luna. But we can work through them. We’re not asking you to love us-we just want to love _you_ ,” He told her earnestly.

She trembled harder and blinked away the tears that wanted to fall. “I get-there’s this fluttering in my stomach whenever I’m around you three-Wanda told me they were _butterflies_ -I get butterflies whenever you smile at me or laugh or hug me or just-anything you do, really-you don’t even have to be in the same _room_ -I’ll just be thinking about you, something silly or stupid or just something you said or did and I’ll smile and blush and I just don’t know _why_ -“ She said in frustration.

The three men smiled at her fondly. “Pretty sure we’ve all gotten those same butterflies whenever we think about you like that too, Luna. Any time we see you smile, any time we hear your laughter or just watch you relaxing. You don’t have to be doing anything at all and we’d still get them with just the mention of your name,” Bucky told her softly as he took a couple of steps towards her. 

She swallowed hard, but made no move to step away from him. “You look beautiful, by the way-“ Bucky murmured, giving her a little smile. 

Luna cast a quick glance down at herself and realized she was still wearing the dress Wanda had asked her to try on earlier. Her cheeks heated and she wasn’t sure if it was from the anger she had felt earlier, the frustration of everything or the compliment. Truthfully-she didn’t much care. 

She smiled shyly as she looked up at him through lowered lashes, tears still at the forefront of her vision. “T-thank you-“ She whispered.

Bucky shook his head gently, “No reason to thank me for stating the truth.”

She stared at him in complete quiet for a moment, just breathing slowly as she tried to keep the tears at bay. “I want to learn how to love,” She told him softly, glancing then to Tony and Steve who had both taken a few steps closer to her.

Steve just smiled at her, “You don’t need to learn, Luna. You’re already there, I’m sure of it.”

She smiled tentatively at him. “I know I love you- _all of you_ -but the love I have for the three of you is different-not like my love for Natasha or Bruce or Clint or… _Wanda-_ “ She suddenly breathed, her head snapping around to see if the young woman was still present.

Tony let out a startled noise as he followed her gaze. _“_ We have _Wanda_ to thank for this?” He asked incredulously.

Luna nodded quickly when she couldn’t find the woman anywhere in the immediate vicinity. She smiled, shaking her head as she turned her attention back towards the men in front of her.

“She told you about all the shit we did, didn’t she?” Bucky muttered and he sounded so fucking _impressed_.

Luna smiled at him, her nose scrunching up adorably as she nodded. “I’m thinking she knew what my reaction was going to be before I even knew myself,” Luna confessed.

Steve and Tony chuckled softly and Bucky smiled at her in adoration. “You were quite the bundle of righteous fury when you came barrelling in here and I gotta’a say-“ Tony continued with a little grin. “Thought you looked incredibly hot-not that you don’t look hot now-but seeing you all angry and clearly not a fan of our shit was _spectacular_ -feel free to call us out on our bullshit _anytime-_ “ He told her with a grin.

Bucky and Steve rolled their eyes in unison and Tony’s grin widened. “I will…but I don’t understand-I wasn’t warm when I came in here-why do you think I was incredibly hot?” She asked curiously.

Bucky snickered and Steve cleared his throat, looking to his lover to get him to shut it. Tony just smiled adorably at her. “It means beautiful-when I said I thought you looked incredibly hot…what I really meant to say was, you looked-no-you _look_ beautiful; you _are beautiful,_ ” He told her softly.

Luna’s cheeks heated even more so and she swallowed hard, blinking a couple of times as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “He’s right though,” Steve said lightly. “You are beautiful, Luna…and I do love that dress on you; and uh…you should wear it to dinner tonight-“ He suggested, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck nervously.

“To dinner-“ She mirrored…a little uncertainly.

Bucky smiled and reached out to her, extending his metal hand towards her. She looked down at it and reached out to place her hand in his with absolutely no hesitation. He couldn’t help smiling warmly at her, “Yeah, _little Moon_. Steve’s never been good at the whole dating thing or you know-being charismatic in general-but I think what he’s trying to do, is ask you to dinner with just us and I think we’d all like it if you wore the dress.”

“Oh-“ She whispered, biting her lower lip gently as she glanced from Bucky to Steve and then back to Bucky again.

The brunette just smiled at her and she gave him a timid smile, “Dinner sounds lovely.”

Bucky beamed at her and nodded, “Glad to hear it.”

She smiled at him nervously, her eyes shifting towards his lips as he pulled her in closer. He noticed and he breathed out slowly as he let his gaze shift to her lips as well. “I’d like to kiss you-but I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable or like you have to say yes-“ He started.

But then she let out a little huff of a laugh and gave him a warm smile. “Can I be like Tony and be a little demanding?” She tried to tease, but clearly she was incredibly nervous.

Bucky’s little half smile turned into the most delighted adoring smirk. “You can be as demanding as you’d like-I’ll give you _everything-_ “ He told her in all seriousness.

She smiled, her gaze softening as she searched his eyes. She knew it to be the truth. “I’ll give you everything in return,” She murmured. “Now… _kiss me_ ,” She demanded and she only hoped she sounded confident, because she didn’t feel it in the least.

Bucky tried to keep his smile in check as he leaned in a little closer, his flesh and blood hand moving to caress her hair as he pressed his lips lightly against hers. Her breath left her in a rush, her blush spreading down her neck and across her collarbones as their lips met in a tender kiss. Bucky couldn’t help pressing in a little closer to her and she smiled a little against his lips as the kiss naturally ended. 

They broke apart, still breathing in each other’s space and Bucky smiled at her warmly. She slowly pulled away from him, letting go of his hand as she caught sight of Steve watching them with a fond smile on his lips. Luna just smiled at him, bright and beautiful; the corners of her eyes crinkling as she reached out to him.

Steve was surprised when she reached up to grasp the back of his neck with both of her hands and pulled him down to her. “And just for the record-“ She said lightly. “I think you’re very charismatic-so _charming_ and _sweet_ and-“ Luna continued, only to stop when Steve interrupted her with a laugh.

“ _Luna-_ “ He said, blushing lightly as he let himself be pulled in a little closer to her. 

“Well-it’s true,” She told him with a gentle smile.

Steve just shook his head fondly at her and watched as she bit her lower lip gently. “Do-do you think I could kiss you too?” She asked timidly.

Steve just smiled at her, gently resting his forehead against hers. “You can kiss me whenever you like, however you like-I’ll never say no to a kiss from such a beautiful girl,” He told her with a warm smile.

She swallowed hard, her eyes drifting almost completely closed as she tilted her chin up, her lips just barely ghosting against his. “ _Your_ beautiful girl,” She corrected, gently pressing her lips against his.

A soft noise escaped him at the little statement and he couldn’t help wrapping his arms around her waist as he pulled her in a little closer. She smiled against his lips, unable to help herself as she pressed in closer as well. The gentle pressure of his lips against hers was wonderful and she couldn’t wait to kiss them again and again, every day and every night for as long as they’d let her. 

 

Later that night, after dinner had been eaten and cleared away, Luna had invited the three out onto the balcony with her to stargaze. She had said she wanted to show them something. As they all curled up on the balcony’s sofa, blankets and pillows and chocolate covered blueberries galore-Luna looked up at the sky and let out a soft sigh.

“What did you want to show us, love?” Bucky asked gently as he tugged her hand closer to his chest.

Luna was curled up between Steve and Bucky with Tony draped across their laps, blankets covering them to the best of their ability. Steve was feeding Tony blueberries and Bucky was smiling fondly at them as he rubbed his flesh and blood thumb over her knuckles. She smiled over at him and gave a little sigh as she looked up into the night sky.

“When you first found me-that first day when you called me little Moon-“ She started.

Bucky blushed, glancing nervously towards Steve and Tony who had looked up at him, clear looks of surprise on their faces. They apparently didn’t know that Bucky called her that. Her smile just widened when she realized this and her nose scrunched up adorably as she forced herself to keep gazing up at the night sky.

“It made me see things differently-you later told me that the reason you called me that, was because I reminded you of the Moon lighting up the night sky-lighting up the darkness-“ She continued. 

Bucky nodded a little, watching her quietly along with his lovers. She smiled, closing her eyes for a beat before looking back up at the Moon. “Then I heard Steve’s laughter and thought- _I’ve never heard a more beautiful sound in my life-_ I think I even said something like; ‘his laughter is like sunshine,’” She laughed lightly and smiled brighter.

“And it is-just like sunshine-you’re like the Sun, Steve-so bright and beautiful,” She told him earnestly, letting out a little sigh.

Steve’s cheeks heated and he forced himself to look down at Tony’s wonderfully smiling face as he looked up at him; clearly, he agreed with her statement. “And then I saw Tony that day in his workshop-his heart on open display and glowing so wonderfully-“ She said with a little breathy laugh; no one had wanted to tell her that it wasn’t actually his heart.

“I was so shocked-so startled when I saw him like that-I realized that it was something Jarvis had shown me a few days before and when I rushed over to him and actually saw the glow-well…I’d never seen something so beautiful before. I told you it was like a star-bright and beautiful and lighting up the darkness-“ She confessed.

Tony swallowed hard, his smile completely gone as he looked up at her from his spot sprawled across their laps. “And then I realized something-“ She said softly, shaking her head a little. 

No one prompted her when she took a moment to steady her breaths, having gotten a little emotional while speaking. They waited patiently for her to continue, eager to hear what she had to say. 

“Then there was that night-I woke up from a nightmare and came out here to try and get some fresh air-Jarvis told me that there was going to be a scheduled power outage for maintenance and I was panicking because of the light-I thought the Moon’s light might be strong enough to help keep me calm-“ She said with a sigh.

“But then James-you came outside to see if I was okay, said you’d not been able to sleep either. You kept me company and we sat in the darkness together, under the night sky and that’s when I realized it-“ She said with a beautiful smile as she turned to look at him.

“You’re the sky, the beautiful sky that holds the Sun in the day and the Stars at night and it’s so perfect-the three of you together-it’s no wonder you’re all so perfect together. You were and have always been meant to be together-“ She told them honestly.

Bucky swallowed hard. “You’re our Moon, Luna. You know that, right? If Steve is the Sun, Tony is the Star and I’m the Sky-you’re our little Moon-“ He murmured, reaching out and cupping her cheek gently in his palm. 

Luna smiled shyly at him as she leaned into his warm, careful caress. “I know that now,” She whispered, letting her eyes drift shut.

Steve leaned in close and kissed her temple sweetly and when she looked down at Tony, she found the genius placing a kiss against the inside of her wrist. She smiled and closed her eyes. “I love my Sun, my Star and my Sky-“ She murmured.

Bucky, Steve and Tony smiled at her warmly and Luna let herself be held by these amazing men as they sat under the night sky together; curled up under too many blankets, with too many pillows and the soft whispers of love and praise for this incredible young woman they’d been blessed with.


End file.
